Tonight, Perth gets a front-row seat to one of nature’s most spectacular celestial shows — a total lunar eclipse, or often called a blood moon. It’s a fairly rare event that won’t repeat for nearly three years, and you don’t need any special equipment to watch it unfold.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth moves directly between the sun and the moon, casting our planet’s shadow across the entire lunar surface. During this alignment, the moon doesn’t go dark as you might expect. Instead, sunlight bending around the edges of the Earth filters through our atmosphere and bathes the moon in a deep copper or crimson glow. Blue wavelengths of light scatter out during this process, while longer red wavelengths bend into the Earth’s shadow and reach the moon. The exact shade can vary from bright copper to deep blood red, depending on several factors. As Perth Observatory notes, no two total lunar eclipses ever look exactly the same.
When is the Total Lunar Eclipse?
Times you need to know:
- The moon begins its rise tonight at 6:43 pm
- The total eclipse begins at 7:04 pm and lasts for 58 minutes
- The peak of the eclipse will be at 7:33 pm
- The total eclipse ends at 8:02 pm, and the partial eclipse ends at 9:17 pm
Where to watch it
Unlike a solar eclipse, a total lunar eclipse is completely safe to view with the naked eye.
For the best experience, you want elevation, an unobstructed view of the eastern horizon, and as little artificial light as possible around you. Within the Perth metro area, Kings Park is one of the best places.
Some of the best places to see the moon are:
- Kings Park
- Matilda’s Bay
- Perth Hills
- Golden View Lookout
- Lake Leschenaultia
You can also get a great view of it simply from your backyard.
Photography tips
This one is a fairly simple one to photograph. You can use your phone’s camera, or if you’re a camera enthusiast with a DSLR or Mirrorless camera, set it to manual and mount it on a tripod. A telephoto lens will be beneficial for capturing more detail; however, go with what you have access to.
Start with a low ISO (100-400) and a shutter speed of around 1/250 for the early stages, where the sky is still bright. During the total eclipse, increase the ISO to the 800-1,600 range and slow the shutter speed to between one and two seconds. This will depend on your individual setup and location, so feel free to adjust as needed.
When is the next one?
After tonight, you’ll need to wait until New Year’s Eve 2028 for the next total lunar eclipse. That 2028 eclipse will be fully visible in Western Australia.
