Astronomer calls Sept 7 lunar eclipse a rare celestial spectacle

The upcoming lunar eclipse on Sunday (September 7) will be a rare astronomical alignment, a leading astronomer said. The eclipse, visible across most parts of India, will be the year’s longest and is expected to spark wide public curiosity from villages to cities. Nehru Centre Planetarium (Mumbai) Director Arvind Paranjpye noted that this will be a total lunar eclipse beginning at around 8.58 p.m.

The totality, when the Moon is completely covered by Earth’s shadow, will start close to 11 p.m. and reach its peak at 11.42 p.m. The eclipse will last well into the night, finally ending at 1.26 a.m.

"This is a long-duration eclipse. At its peak, the Moon will appear dark and may even take on a brick-red hue," Paranjpye said, adding that such colour changes occur because Earth’s atmosphere scatters blue light while allowing red light to reach the lunar surface.

He also said that while astrology often associates lunar eclipses with auspicious or inauspicious effects, science views them as a purely natural event. "There is no need for fear or superstition. Unlike a solar eclipse, you don’t need any special filters to watch a lunar eclipse. It is perfectly safe to view with the naked eye," he noted.