Partial lunar eclipse to cast reddish hue over Denmark Friday morning

Stargazers in Denmark have another celestial event to anticipate this week, with a partial lunar eclipse set to grace the morning sky on Friday. This astronomical phenomenon follows closely on the heels of a recent solar eclipse, offering a new spectacle for skywatchers.

The eclipse is expected to reach its peak around 6:30 AM, when a significant portion of the full moon, up to 93 percent of its diameter, will be enveloped by the Earth's darkest shadow, known as the umbra.

Although the eclipse will not be total, meaning the moon won't completely disappear or turn a deep red often referred to as a "blood moon," a noticeable reddish hue is anticipated. This coloration occurs as sunlight filters through Earth's atmosphere, scattering blue light and allowing red light to pass through and illuminate the moon's surface.

Astrofyicist Michael Linden-Vørnle from the Technical University of Denmark explained that this scattering effect is the same phenomenon that causes the vibrant red colors seen during sunrises and sunsets. The partial lunar eclipse provides a beautiful, albeit less dramatic, display of this atmospheric interaction.

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It makes it so because the Earth's shadow is filled with red light - the red sunlight that is scattered through the Earth's atmosphere, and that is what makes our sunrises and sunsets red.