UAE to witness first total lunar eclipse in seven years on Sunday
STARGAZERS in the UAE will be treated on Sunday night to the country’s first total lunar eclipse in seven years, a rare celestial event that will unfold over several hours and cast the moon in shades of orange and red.
The International Astronomical Center announced that it will livestream the eclipse from the Al Khatim Observatory in Abu Dhabi, using its telescopes to capture the event between 7:30 p.m. and 11:50 p.m. local time.
Mohammed Shawkat Odeh, the center’s director, said the eclipse will be visible across the Arab world, though in varying stages.
In the UAE, the spectacle begins with the moon entering Earth’s penumbra at 7:28 p.m., followed by a partial eclipse at 8:27 p.m. and the start of totality at 9:31 p.m. The phenomenon will peak at 10:12 p.m. before the moon gradually brightens again, ending the total phase at 10:53 p.m.
The partial eclipse will conclude just before midnight, with the entire event wrapping up at 12:55 a.m. Monday.
During totality, the moon will not vanish completely but will glow in hues ranging from yellow to deep red.
Scientists note that the color depends on atmospheric conditions; clearer skies allow brighter shades, while pollution or volcanic activity can darken the moon’s face to a blood-red or even brown.
In rare cases, the moon may disappear completely, as happened during the December 12, 1992, eclipse, when the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines (June 1991) affected the Earth’s atmosphere.
The last total lunar eclipse visible from the Emirates occurred in the summer of 2018. The next one, experts say, will not be seen until the winter of 2029.
