Didn’t see the moon turn red last night? Here’s what you missed! Check photos here

On a full-moon Sunday the sky turned crimson as a rare Rahu-linked lunar eclipse, the biggest in decades and the second & final eclipse of the Bhadrapada month, held India and the world in rapt gaze.

On a full-moon Sunday night, a rare lunar eclipse, locally described as the “Khagraasa Rahu-grasta” (a Rahu-linked eclipse), painted the Moon a deep crimson. The sky drama lasted 3 hours 29 minutes; India witnessed an uninterrupted totality of 82 minutes that turned city rooftops, parks and temple courtyards into impromptu observatories.

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Timeline (as observed in India)

•    9:57 PM: Eclipse contact began across the sky.
•    10:00 PM: The Moon first appeared in a partially eclipsed (half) shape.
•    11:00 PM: The Moon began slowly to take on a reddish tint.
•    11:41 PM: Maximum eclipse (mid-eclipse) was reached.
•    11:42 PM: Across India the Moon appeared deep crimson.
•    11:00 PM–12:22 AM: Period of totality in India, 82 minutes in all.
•    12:22 AM: End of totality.
•    1:26–1:27 AM: Partial eclipse phase concluded.
•    2:25 AM: Final penumbral phase ended; the Moon returned to its usual glow.

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Public reaction & human moments:

Crowds watched with awe and delight. Many families brought children who saw such a dramatic sight for the first time, faces lit by the blood-tinted disc, whispers of wonder and applause ripple through watching groups. Social media and neighbourhood sky-watch groups exchanged photos and short videos as the event unfolded.

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Science, superstition and civic action:

Alongside the spectacle, common eclipse superstitions resurfaced, advice not to eat, warnings against looking at the Moon with bare eyes, and other ritual taboos. In response, progressive citizens in Bangalore organised a visible counter-narrative. In front of Town Hall over 150 people gathered to eat, sing and feed children as a public demonstration against fear-based practices, urging scientific thinking and calm. Organisers stressed that lunar eclipses are optical effects caused by Earth's shadow and encouraged safe public viewings and outreach.

Why the Moon turned red (briefly):

As the Moon passed through Earth’s umbral shadow, shorter (blue) wavelengths scatter in Earth’s atmosphere and the longer (red) wavelengths reach the lunar surface, producing the characteristic “blood-red” hue during totality.

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