Red moon in ‘almost total’ lunar eclipse across Japan

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Visitors view a partial lunar eclipse from the rooftop observation facility Shibuya Sky in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, at 5:41 p.m. Friday.

A partial lunar eclipse was observed across Japan on Friday evening.

In what was called an “almost total lunar eclipse,” about 98% of the moon was hidden in the shadow of the Earth. This meant most of the sunlight that illuminates the moon was blocked by the Earth.

The Yomiuri Shimbun
A partial lunar eclipse is seen along with Fukuoka Tower in Fukuoka at 6:02 p.m. Friday.

Even though it was a partial lunar eclipse, the moon shone dark red because it was illuminated by sunlight that passed by the edge of the Earth and traveled through the atmosphere, becoming a feeble red light.

An observation event was held at Shibuya Sky, a 230-meter-high rooftop observation facility in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.

The Yomiuri Shimbun
This chronophotograph shows the moon taken every five minutes with the statue of feudal lord Date Masamune in Sendai on Friday.

“I was surprised to see the moon gradually turning red from yellow,” said a 7-year-old boy from Suginami Ward, Tokyo, who visited the facility with his mother.

The Yomiuri Shimbun
This chronophotograph shows the moon taken every five minutes above Inuyama Castle in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, on Friday.

According to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, the next partial lunar eclipse will be seen across Japan in November 2086. A total lunar eclipse will be visible nationwide in November next year.