UAE will observe the red moon today

Abu Dhabi: From May 15, 2022, until today the world will observe a total lunar eclipse, which will not be visible from the eastern parts of the Arab world.

Mohammed Shawkat Odeh, Director of the International Astronomy Centre (IAC), said, “As for Arab countries, the beginning of the lunar eclipse can be seen from East African countries, such as Egypt and Sudan, while countries in West Africa, specifically in Algeria and Morocco, will be able to observe every stage of it.”

Odeh explained that the Penumbral eclipse will begin at 01:32 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), with the moon’s brightness to begin changing at approximately 02:20 GMT. He added that the Partial eclipse will begin at 02:28 GMT, and the Total eclipse at 03:29 GMT, with the Maximum eclipse to begin at 04:12 GMT. “As for the end-stage Total eclipse, it will begin at 04:54 GMT, and the end-stage Partial eclipse at 05:56 GMT, with the end-stage Penumbral eclipse beginning at 06:51 GMT,” he concluded, noting that the moonset will coincide with the sunrise.

The IAC Director confirmed that the eclipse will not be seen from the Gulf countries, Yemen, Iraq and the Levant, but noted the possibility of observing a slight change in the moon’s brightness from western parts of Saudi Arabia and the Levant, minutes before moonset when the moon will be close to the western horizon, from which it can be observed.

Hasan Al Hariri, CEO of Dubai Astronomy Group said, “The blood moon is an eclipse happening on May 16, 2022, with its centre viewing perspective from the Earth will be over the Atlantic Ocean. The eclipse is a full eclipse that turns the moon to a kind of reddish colour that is why is it called the blood moon. Several people from South Africa, Antarctica, and parts of Europe will be able to witness it. It is quite nice to observe, although it will not be visible from Dubai or the UAE, because it’s far away from us.”

He added that the element starts over the Atlantic ocean, is somewhere around two o’clock at a universal time, which is the greenish time at night.

The reason behind the redness we will is because of the penetration light. He said, “Instead of making it totally black, it makes it like a kind of reddish because we know the red light or red spectrum has more penetration property than any other light. So that part, which actually acts as reddish or making more moon ready, red colour, and in the same line, as we saw that we have gone.”

WAM