bdmetronews Desk ॥ The longest total lunar eclipse of the century transformed the moon into a reddish orange color for more than 100 minutes, according to NASA.
The eclipse was not visible from North America, Noah Petro, a scientist for the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, told ABC News. Star-gazers in areas near the Middle East, south or eastern Africa, western and southeast Asia and India were be able to catch a glimpse of the celestial event as long as the weather permits, Petro said.
In those areas, the totality of the lunar eclipse — when the moon will retain its red color — lasted for about an hour and 42 minutes. The entire event will last about six hours and 13 minutes, Petro said.
Residents in Australia were able to see the lunar eclipse as the moon sets, while those in eastern Brazil and western Europe could see it as the moon is rising.
Petro suggested either renting a boat and driving it to the middle of the Indian Ocean or visiting relatives in Ethiopia for the “best seat in the house.”
A San Antonio couple named Miguel and Sara who experienced the eclipse from Cairo, Egypt described it as a “beautiful” sight.
“It looks like a giant tangerine,” Miguel told ABC News, adding that Cairo” was “a little bit colder than Texas right now.”
Cloudy weather conditions in cities like London, Moscow and Hong Kong obstructed views of the blood moon in those areas.
ABC News correspondent Matt Gutman described the sight of the lunar eclipse from Hong Kong as “more like a gray smudge,” due to the weather. However, cities like Rome and Cairo, as well as several areas in Africa, had a clear picture of the moon.
In the U.S., the lunar eclipse began around 1:14 p.m. ET, with the maximum period of totality will starting around 4:21 p.m. ET, making it too light outside for the blood moon to be visible, Petro said.
