THE moon will turn blood red in the sky tonight, November 8. And if you’re in the Philippines, you have a good chance of seeing this phenomenon.

The eclipse will begin at 5:19 p.m. But the total redness of the moon will be seen from 6:16 p.m. to 7:42 p.m., according to Mario Raymundo, chief of the astronomical observation unit of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration. 

There’s no special equipment needed to watch the moon turn red during the total lunar eclipse, but Raymundo recommends going to areas that are not cloudy. 

Thankfully, only isolated areas in the country are expected to experience cloudiness.

People could also use binoculars or a small telescope to view the eclipse, he said.  

Where to View the Eclipse

The PAGASA Astronomical Observatory will live stream the total lunar eclipse on its PAGASA Official Facebook Page and PAGASA YouTube channel. 

There will be two telescopes at the observatory for visitors from the general public. 

There are also astronomical groups that will host free viewings of the blood moon through their telescopes.

The Philippine Astronomical Society will host a total lunar eclipse viewing at Rizal Park and the Manila Observatory.

It will allow participants to get a glimpse of the moon through a telescope, and share interesting information about all things astronomy.

Those who are interested may sign up for their viewings via the group’s Facebook page. 

The UP Astronomical Society will also set up three telescopes for the general public for its Sidewalk Astronomy for the Total Lunar Eclipse event at 6 p.m.

It will be at the PAGASA Astronomical Observatory in UP Diliman, Quezon City. Joining the event is free of charge. 

The rare blood moon is a good opportunity for photographers to exercise their creativity, said Raymundo.

They could use the moon as a backdrop for creative shots, he noted.

“Pwede yung mga ikakasal or nagpo-propose under the blood moon,” he said.