A celestial spectacle will accompany this year's Lantern Festival celebrations as a total lunar eclipse turns the moon a striking coppery red on the evening of March 3.

According to the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, this will be the only total lunar eclipse of the year. The phenomenon will create a picturesque scene, with the crimson moon suspended above glowing festive lanterns and bowls of white glutinous rice balls, or tangyuan, enjoyed by families during the Lantern Festival.

"This is a convergence of the astronomical calendar and celestial motion, offering a rare viewing opportunity," said Shi Wei, an associate research fellow at the Shanghai Astronomy Museum. Shi noted that the last time a total lunar eclipse coincided with the Lantern Festival was 2007, and the next such event will not take place until 2072.

The most anticipated phase of the eclipse, when the moon is fully within Earth's umbra, will last for about an hour, from 7 pm to 8 pm.

Shi said that the timing is ideal for observers, as the key phase unfolds during the evening when families gather. Across much of China, the moon will rise already partially obscured by Earth's shadow, a phenomenon known as a moonrise eclipse.

Rather than disappearing entirely, the moon will assume a deep reddish hue. This effect occurs because the Earth's atmosphere scatters shorter-wavelength blue light while refracting longer-wavelength red sunlight onto the lunar surface.

"It's the same principle behind blue skies and red sunsets," Shi explained. The intensity of the red coloration may vary depending on atmospheric conditions such as cloud cover and airborne dust.

Source: Shanghai Observer