Last night, Friday 14th March, Tonga’s night sky was graced by yet another total lunar eclipse, commonly known as a “blood moon”.
The phenomenon occurs when the Earth aligns directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow that gives the lunar surface a reddish hue.
The eclipse started around 7.30pm local time, with the Moon positioned at an altitude of 7 degrees above the horizon.
The moment of greatest eclipse occurred around 8.00pm, when the Moon reached an altitude of 14 degrees. The total phase ended around 8.30pm with the Moon ascending to 21 degrees.
The clear skies over Tongatapu provided ideal viewing conditions, allowing both astronomy enthusiasts and casual observers to witness the Moon’s transformation.
The reddish tint, characteristic of a blood moon, results from Earth’s atmosphere filtering out shorter blue wavelengths of light, leaving longer red and orange wavelengths to illuminate the Moon’s surface.
The next total lunar eclipse visible from Tonga is anticipated on September 7, 2025.
