NASA Explains Why Moon Turns Red During Lunar Eclipse

The last total Lunar Eclipse of this year will occur on November 8. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth and the Moon are in straight line and the Earth's shadow falls on the Moon. As per American space agency NASA, the next total lunar eclipse will occur three years later, on March 14, 2025. However, the world will continue to witness partial lunar eclipses during that time.

The agency also said that during the total eclipse, the entire Moon falls within the darkest part of Earth's shadow, known as the umbra. When the Moon is within the umbra, it will turn a reddish hue. Lunar eclipses are sometimes called "Blood Moons" because of this phenomenon.

Rayleigh scattering is a phenomenon that causes the Moon to turn red in colour. NASA wrote, "The same phenomenon that makes our sky blue and our sunsets red causes the Moon to turn red during a lunar eclipse. It's called Rayleigh scattering. Light travels in waves, and different colors of light have different physical properties. Blue light has a shorter wavelength and is scattered more easily by particles in Earth's atmosphere than red light, which has a longer wavelength." 

On November 8, 2022, the Moon will pass into Earth's shadow and turn red. This will be the last total lunar eclipse for about 3 years, so be sure to check it out if it's visible in your area.

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— NASA Moon (@NASAMoon) October 27, 2022

It added that red light travels directly through the atmosphere. The entire sky is illuminated by blue light when the Sun is overhead. However, as the Sun sets, the red the light must travel a greater distance before it reaches our sight.

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"During a lunar eclipse, the Moon turns red because the only sunlight reaching the Moon passes through Earth's atmosphere. The more dust or clouds in Earth's atmosphere during the eclipse, the redder the Moon will appear. It's as if all the world's sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon," NASA continued on its website.