A total lunar eclipse, a relatively rare astronomical phenomenon, was visible from across Israel on Sunday evening. The event began at 6:28 p.m. and lasted nearly six hours.
An eclipse occurs when the Earth moves directly between the Sun and the Moon, blocking sunlight and casting a shadow on the Moon’s surface. This precise alignment happens only when the Sun, Earth and Moon form a straight line. While lunar eclipses take place every few years, they are not always visible from Israel.
As the eclipse progressed, the Moon passed through both the Earth’s partial and full shadows. During its full immersion in the Earth’s shadow, the Moon appeared deep red.
This occurred because the Earth’s atmosphere scatters shorter blue wavelengths of light while allowing longer red wavelengths to pass through and reach the lunar surface.
Although the Moon rose over Israel at 6:51 p.m., the eclipse itself already began at 6:28 p.m. when the Moon entered the Earth's partial shadow. At this point, the dimming was subtle and not easily visible to the naked eye.
At 7:29 p.m., the Moon began moving into the Earth’s full shadow. Darkness gradually spread across the surface of the Moon until it was almost completely covered.
The eclipse reached its peak at 9:11 p.m., when the Moon was fully inside the Earth's shadow and took on a glowing red color. This stage continued until 9:52 p.m. The Moon then slowly exited the shadow. The partial eclipse ended at 10:56 p.m., and the entire event concluded at 11:55 p.m.
A rare viewing opportunity
Total lunar eclipses occur on average every two to three years, but visibility depends on location.
For those who missed this eclipse, the next one partially visible in Israel will occur in March 2026. A fully visible total eclipse is not expected again until August 2028.