NEW DELHI, July 28 - Tens of thousands of skywatchers across the country sat watching for the longest �blood moon� of the century on Friday night.
People were out on roads or their rooftops and terraces to watch the moon turning red � the longest celestial event of the 21st century that lasted for about two hours.
The phenomenon is caused because the earth blocks all direct sunlight from reaching the moon. But the indirect sunlight is refracted by the earth�s atmosphere. Only the refracted red light, with longer wavelength, travels the distance and passes to the moon and other colours are filtered out.
The thick monsoon clouds, however, restricted a clear view of the eclipse in some areas, disappointing several photography enthusiasts.
The eclipse began at 10:44 pm on Friday night ending at 4:58 a.m on Saturday. � IANS
