Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse Tonight is a deep partial eclipse visible across the Americas, parts of Europe, Africa and the UK. Forbes described the event as a deep partial eclipse in which more than 96 percent of the Moon passes into Earth’s darkest shadow, leaving only a thin sunlit sliver.
The eclipse will be visible across most of North and South America, and parts of western Europe and western Africa, Forbes reported. The UK report said observers should look low toward the south‑west to avoid buildings or trees, because the Moon will be near the horizon and may appear larger than usual.
The partial nature varies by location. Forbes noted that at maximum eclipse only about 4 percent of the lunar disk remains in direct sunlight. A UK account said the Moon was about 90 percent covered at peak for viewers there, while Reuters photo coverage cited images showing roughly 93 percent coverage in some UK shots. Sky & Telescope imagery included in the coverage underlines the deep shadow across most of the lunar surface.
Observers need no protective eyewear. Forbes and the UK report both emphasised that lunar eclipses are safe to view with the naked eye and can be photographed without filters. Both sources explained why the Moon looks red, saying sunlight refracted through Earth’s atmosphere scatters shorter blue wavelengths and leaves coppery red and orange light to illuminate the shadowed lunar surface.
Photography Tips And Northern Lights Possibility
Photographers are urged to plan compositions that include foreground subjects for scale. Forbes recommended wide‑angle lenses for landscapes and skyline shots, and 200mm to 600mm lenses for close lunar detail. A tripod is essential as the Moon darkens and longer exposures become necessary, Forbes added.
For the brighter eclipse stages Forbes advised starting settings near ISO 100, f/8 and shutter speeds between 1/125 and 1/250 second, then increasing exposure length and ISO as the shadow deepens. PhotoPills, cited by Forbes, suggested stretching exposures up to about one second and using ISO values up to roughly 1600. Bracketing and RAW capture were recommended to retain flexibility in post‑processing.
There was also a chance of aurora for some viewers, Forbes reported. If aurora appears it will likely show to the north while the Moon sits to the south‑east or south‑west depending on location. Forbes recommended wide‑angle lenses or smartphones in Night Mode for aurora and gave sample settings of about ISO 800, f/2.8 and 10 to 30 second exposures for manual cameras.
Photographs submitted to Reuters and other outlets showed the eclipse over landmarks from Gran Canaria to Córdoba and São Paulo, underscoring the event’s broad reach and the variety of sky conditions experienced globally.
