India to witness rare total lunar eclipse on Sept 7; scientists caution against superstitions

Hyderabad: India will witness a total lunar eclipse on the night of September 7–8, the only eclipse visible in the country this year. The Planetary Society, India, said the event will be clearly observable to the naked eye and cautioned against misinformation circulating on social media.

Eclipse details and timings

The eclipse will begin at 8:57 pm IST on September 7 and end at 2:26 am IST on September 8.

The noticeable umbral phase, when Earth’s darker shadow starts covering the moon, will last from 9:57 pm to 1:27 am.

The totality phase, when the entire lunar disk is immersed in Earth’s shadow, will occur from 11 pm to 12:23 am. During this period, the moon will appear in shades of red or orange depending on atmospheric conditions.

The moon will rise in the eastern sky, move toward the southeast during totality, and gradually shift southward before setting in the southwest.

Visible across India and beyond

The eclipse will be visible not only in India but also across parts of Antarctica, the western Pacific Ocean, Australasia, Asia, the Indian Ocean, Europe and the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

The last eclipse visible in India was on October 28, 2023, which was a partial lunar eclipse. No eclipses were visible in India in 2024.

Scientific clarifications on the ‘Blood Moon’

The scientific society highlighted the misuse of the term ‘Blood Moon’ on social media.

“While reporting this safe celestial event, social media is buzzing with terms like ‘Blood Total Lunar Eclipse.’ This is an unscientific terminology and misleading. The correct and astronomical title to call this celestial phenomenon is Total Lunar Eclipse or Total Eclipse of the Moon. Every year, at least 3–4 eclipses occur. What makes them seem ‘rare’ is whether an eclipse is visible from a particular location or not,” said Prof. Dr G Yellaiah, Retd. HoD, Former Director, Japal Rangapur Observatory, Osmania University.

Explaining why the moon appears reddish during totality, Dr Phanesh Babu, an Arechoastronomy expert, said, “It is a fact that the moon is not self-luminous. It is visible to us because it reflects the light of the sun. During a lunar eclipse, when the disk of the moon is fully immersed in Earth’s dark shadow, it is assumed that sunlight is completely blocked. However, Earth’s atmosphere bends sunlight into the shadow, scattering away blue light and letting red and orange light pass through. This filtered light illuminates the moon, giving it a reddish or orangish glow.”

Adding further, Dr G Ramdas, Geophysics, OU, clarified, “The exact colour is not always the same, it depends on conditions such as dust, smoke, pollution, clouds or local atmospheric conditions of the observer. Therefore, not every total lunar eclipse appears ‘blood red.’”

Myths about eclipses

The Planetary Society addressed several superstitions associated with eclipses, particularly those targeting pregnant women.

“During an eclipse, various restrictions in the form of rituals based on a misunderstanding of the eclipse are imposed on pregnant ladies in India to avoid deformities. Cleft lip and cleft palate, which are medical conditions, are wrongly associated with eclipse as an aftereffect in unborn children. If eclipses were harmful, the World Health Organisation (WHO) would have issued advisories to nations, and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in India would have warned people in the last 70 years,” said Dr B Vijay Bhaskar, Orthopaedician and Space Medicine Expert.

The Society also clarified that food spoilage during an eclipse has no scientific basis. If it did, organisations such as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and CSIR would have issued warnings.

Appeal against superstitions and harmful rituals

The press release urged central and state governments to take action against misinformation and dangerous practices linked to eclipses.

“There is widespread superstition on the issue of food, pregnant women, and travel during eclipses. Governments should issue special instructions and prevent superstitious ideas from being spread using social media. Special steps are also needed to prevent dangerous rituals of black magic because of which incidents of human sacrifice or animal sacrifice have occurred during eclipses,” the statement said.

The Society stressed that while solar eclipses require precautions when viewing, lunar eclipses are safe to observe directly without equipment.

No link to disasters or political events

Addressing common fears, the Society explained that eclipses are natural celestial events and do not cause natural disasters, pandemics or political turmoil.

“Eclipses have historically been linked to earthly events due to a lack of scientific understanding. Today, science explains why earthquakes occur and the reasons for floods. However, there is a deliberate attempt to mislead people with unscientific statements,” the statement noted.

The upcoming total lunar eclipse on September 7–8, will be a significant celestial event visible across India. The Planetary Society has called for public awareness, scientific understanding, and vigilance against superstitions and misinformation, emphasising that the eclipse is safe to watch with the naked eye.