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On the night of September 7–8, 2025, skywatchers across Kenya and much of Africa and the world witnessed the mesmerising blood moon, a total lunar eclipse casting the Moon in a crimson hue.
While astronomers understand this as a natural celestial alignment in which Earth casts its shadow on the Moon and its atmosphere filters sunlight to produce the red glow, the event has long inspired cultural myths and deeply held beliefs across many groups of people.
Here’s a look at some of the most compelling interpretations, grounded in credible, documented sources.
A lunar eclipse at night
Ancient Beliefs
Among the Samburu of Kenya, a lunar eclipse marks an unfavourable period. Celebrations are suspended until the second lunar cycle has passed, signalling that the universe has restored balance.
For the Maasai of East Africa, the eclipse is interpreted as a struggle in the heavens, where a spirit has “swallowed” the moon.
Communities respond with shaming chants and calls, demanding the spirit release the celestial body and return the night sky to normalcy.
A lunar eclipse at night
Along Kenya’s coast, different tribes view eclipses as powerful omens of misfortune. During such times, cooking and childbirth are forbidden, and ritual cleansing becomes necessary to ward off lingering misfortune.
In West Africa, the Yoruba imagine the eclipse as a quarrel between cosmic siblings. To mend this celestial rift, prayers and offerings are made, seeking to restore harmony between the divine forces that govern the heavens.
Further inland in Mali, the Bambara and Dogon regard eclipses as profound thresholds. To them, these moments are channels through which ancestors communicate, offering prophecy and guidance from beyond the visible world.
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Modern Perspectives. Myths versus Science
Modern science encourages eclipse-watching with curiosity. Contrary to old tales, lunar eclipses do not harm the eyes, unlike solar eclipses.
According to the Kenya Space Agency, no special glasses or filters are required to watch a lunar eclipse.
It is completely safe to view with the naked eye. For a closer and more detailed view of the red Moon, binoculars or a telescope can be used, but they are not necessary to enjoy the event.
While people on Earth marvel at the Moon slowly turning red during a total lunar eclipse, the view from the Moon would be far more surreal.
Standing on the lunar surface, you wouldn’t see the Moon darken; instead, you would witness Earth eclipsing the Sun.
The vast blue-and-white globe would slide across the Sun’s face, blotting out its light and plunging the lunar landscape into an otherworldly twilight.
This eclipse would last much longer than the fleeting events we experience on Earth, stretching on for over an hour, because Earth’s shadow dwarfs the Moon.
And around the rim of that darkened Earth, you would see not the Sun’s corona but a fiery halo, the combined glow of every sunrise and sunset happening across the planet at once.
That band of red-orange light, bent through Earth’s atmosphere, is the very same glow that paints the Moon blood-red to the eyes of those watching from below.
An illustration of areas areas where a full lunar eclispe is visible
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The Scientific Importance of Lunar Eclipses
Beyond their rich cultural symbolism, lunar eclipses serve as natural laboratories for science, offering astronomers unique opportunities to study Earth, the Moon, and the mechanics of the cosmos.
One key area of research lies in Earth’s atmosphere. During totality, the only sunlight reaching the Moon has been filtered and refracted through Earth’s atmospheric layers. By analysing this tinted light, much like using a giant spectroscope, scientists can detect atmospheric gases, dust content, and even pollutants.
These observations contribute to climate models and deepen our understanding of how Earth’s atmosphere behaves.
Lunar eclipses also cast the Moon in an unusual glow. The soft red illumination highlights surface features that remain hidden under the glare of direct sunlight, helping researchers map subtle geological details and refine knowledge about lunar composition.
On a larger scale, the geometry of eclipses is invaluable for orbital mechanics. Because a lunar eclipse occurs only when the Earth, Moon, and Sun align with precision, astronomers can use timing and positional data to sharpen calculations of the Earth–Moon distance, orbital tilts, and even the gravitational forces at play.
Historically, eclipses carried another crucial role: timekeeping. Ancient civilizations relied on these predictable events to refine early calendars and anticipate future celestial phenomena.
The Saros cycle, an 18-year, 11-day repeating pattern of eclipses, remains one of the oldest predictive tools still recognised in astronomy today.
In essence, while a total lunar eclipse dazzles the public as a celestial spectacle, for scientists it continues to be a gateway into discovery, revealing secrets about our atmosphere, our nearest neighbour, and the delicate orbital choreography that binds them together.