Uzbekistan Residents to Witness Rare “Blood Moon” Tonight

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — This evening, residents of Uzbekistan will be able to observe a rare astronomical phenomenon — a total lunar eclipse, during which Earth’s satellite will take on a deep red hue, commonly known as the “Blood Moon.”

According to the Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, the eclipse is considered total since, at its peak, the entire surface of the Moon will be covered by Earth’s shadow. The red color appears because Earth’s atmosphere scatters blue light, allowing mostly red and orange rays to reach the Moon.

The total phase will last 1 hour and 22 minutes, while the entire eclipse will span 5 hours and 26 minutes.

The event will be visible across much of Eurasia, Asia, Africa, and Australia. In Uzbekistan, as well as in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, India, China, South Korea, Japan, Türkiye, and several other countries, it will be clearly observable. Viewers in Europe and eastern Africa will only see a partial eclipse.

In Uzbekistan, the partial phase begins on 7 September at 21:27 Tashkent time. The total eclipse starts at 22:30, peaks at 23:11, and ends at 23:52. The final partial phase concludes at 00:56 on September 8.

In Tashkent, the Moon will be about 27° above the horizon at the start, 39° at the peak, and 41° at the end. In northwestern regions, including Karakalpakstan and Khorezm, the Moon’s altitude will be slightly lower, between 21° and 38°.

Experts remind that, unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are completely safe to view with the naked eye. For those wishing to see more detail, binoculars, telescopes, or cameras can be used.