New Zealand to witness incredibly rare lunar spectacle for first time in over 800 years

The residents of New Zealand will be in for a treat on Friday night as they will get to witness an incredibly rare lunar spectacle, which has not been seen in their sky in more than 800 years.

Since 1212, the longest partial lunar eclipse will be visible in New Zealand for the first time. It will start at 8.20 pm NZT when the shadow of the Earth begins to move across moon’s face. It will be covered by almost 97% with shadow by 10 pm.

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During that moment, the lunar surface will turn red briefly. Just before midnight, the eclipse will finish its three-and-a-half-hour journey.

Rob Davison, an astronomer, Auckland’s Stardome Observatory, said, “When you have a total lunar eclipse, it’s not uncommon to have the entirety of that lasting for three-and-a-half hours, sometimes a bit shorter, sometimes longer. But for a partial eclipse to last this long, it’s just very rare.”

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“Most of the eclipse will be dominated by the shadow moving across the moon, with a brief period where it will appear as a blood micromoon in our night sky,” said Davison.

(With inputs from agencies)