Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Bea Cuadra

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Stargazers gathered at Luneta Park on Tuesday evening to witness a total lunar eclipse.Led by the Philippine Astronomical Society, the event drew a massive crowd of students, families, and hobbyists who lined up for a glimpse of the so-called &quot;blood moon&quot; through telescopes.According to Prof. Edmund Rosales, an astronomer and former president of the Philippine Astronomical Society, the celestial show began shortly after the sun went down.&quot;Right after sunset inabangan na namin yung moon. We had set up several telescopes tapos sinimulan namin mag observe ng moon mga around 6 o clock pero partial phase na yun pero pinakamagandang part yung during totality nagsimula yung totality ng around 7:04 so dun medyo naging copper-y red na yung color niya so ibig sabihin nasa loob na siya ng umbra non so hanggang 8:03-8:04 so mga totally nasa less than an hour tung totality niya,&quot; Rosales explained.The distinct reddish hue is actually a result of Earth’s own atmosphere.Rosales noted that while solar eclipses turn the world dark, lunar eclipses are more colorful.&quot;So bakit mapula ang buwan pagka may lunar eclipse? Kasi may atmosphere yung earth,&quot; he said. &quot;Yung sunlight na dumadaan sa gilid ng earth nagkakaroon refraction so nagkakaroon ang red kasi longest wavelength so yun yung natitira dun sa shadows dun sa part ng shadow na refracted light kaya pumapasok siya dun sa shadow na umbra kaya yun yung nakikita nating tumatama kaya color orange. Copper-y red ang kulay ng total lunar eclipse.&quot;To keep the crowd engaged, Rosales held impromptu lectures, explaining the science behind the view.He estimated that &quot;almost a thousand more then a thousand people came&quot; to participate in the observation.Among those in line was 16-year-old Marc Triztan Cortado from Sampaloc, who arrived at the park as early as 6:30 PM.For young observers like Marc, social media served as the gateway to the stars.&quot;Dati po kasi na inspire ako sa mga napapanood ko sa mga ibat ibang social media platforms po hanggang sa na develop po naging nahiligan ko na yung mga constellations about astrology po,&quot; he shared.Beyond the moon, the group also pointed their lenses toward Jupiter, which Rosales described as the brightest object in the sky after sunset.However, he took the opportunity to debunk some viral misinformation regarding a supposed &quot;planetary parade.&quot;&quot;Hindi po totoo yung nakikita yung anim na planet na lumalabas ngayon sa internet na nababsa natin dumadaan ngayon sa page natin na naka align daw yung anim na planets. Actually hindi visible lahat yun dahil nga napakalapit nila dun sa sunset so ang natitira lang talaga malayo ay Jupiter,&quot; Rosales clarified.He advised the public to fact-check astronomical claims, especially those promising &quot;rare&quot; events that aren&#x27;t visible to the naked eye.The eclipse officially ended before 10:00 p.m. as the moon fully exited the Earth’s shadow.For those who missed this event, Rosales says the next big one is worth the wait.A total lunar eclipse is set for late 2027, stretching from the night of December 31 into the morning of January 1, 2028.&quot;Ang maganda dun mas mapula ang Lunar eclipse dahil buong mundo sasalubong sa new year so madumi ang langit nun maalikabok mas lalong pula ang makikita nating buwan,&quot; Rosales added.

Stargazers gathered at Luneta Park on Tuesday evening to witness a total lunar eclipse.

Stargazers gathered at Luneta Park on Tuesday evening to witness a total lunar eclipse.

Crowds gather at Luneta to witness ‘blood moon’

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Crowds gather at Luneta to witness ‘blood moon’

Bea Cuadra,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 04, 2026 01:05 AM PHT

Read More:

blood moon

total lunar eclipse

Luneta Park

astronomy

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