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Deep Partial Lunar Eclipse Nearly Darkens Moon Across Brazil

The event showed how Earth's atmosphere bends and filters sunlight to redden the Moon and drove large public viewings nationwide.

Overview

  • The eclipse began at 22:24 on Thursday, entered its partial phase at 23:34, reached its maximum near 1:13 a.m., the partial phase ended about 2:52 a.m., and the penumbral phase concluded around 4:02 a.m.
  • At the peak roughly 96.2% of the lunar disk was inside Earth's umbra, producing the deep partial or 'almost total' appearance reported by astronomers and widely photographed across the country.
  • The Observatório Nacional streamed the event live with commentary, planetariums and astronomy groups hosted sold-out public programs, and thousands of people across cities from Goiás to São Paulo to the Amazon documented the eclipse.
  • Scientists explained the red-orange tones as sunlight refracting and scattering through Earth's atmosphere before reaching the Moon, and they reiterated that lunar eclipses are safe to view with the naked eye.
  • Visibility was excellent in most regions but clouds blocked views in parts of Rio Grande do Sul, and agencies note the next lunar eclipse visible as a total across all of Brazil is expected on June 25–26, 2029.