I arrived in Abu Dhabi evening of 27th July & Clare was there to meet me & take me home. After unpacking we went outside to look for the moon, as this was to be the longest blood moon eclipse of the 21st Century. Here in Abu Dhabi there wasn't much red, but it was still quite interesting to see.
Just below the Moon,
you can just see Mars.
A total lunar eclipse takes place when the Moon passes through the centre of the earth's shadow & this was the first central lunar eclipse since 2011. It was visible over much of the world but light pollution here in Abu Dhabi prevented seeing the colours in all their glory.
The red colour happens because sunlight is deflected through the earth's atmosphere in a process called refraction. It bends red light from the sun like a lens onto the surface of the moon.
Clare & I periodically watched the eclipse until after midnight when it was totally dark. Then we went to bed!
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