'Blood moon' eclipse to be Taiwan's top cosmic wonder in 2025: Museum

Taipei, Jan. 31 (CNA) A spectacular blood moon lunar eclipse in September will top this year's celestial events, though the Geminid meteor shower will also be a sight to behold, according to the Taipei Astronomical Museum.

The wondrous total lunar eclipse will be visible across Taiwan from 11:28 p.m. on Sept. 7 to 4:55 a.m. on Sept. 8, the museum said in a press release.

At the eclipse's peak, from 1:31 a.m. to 2:53 a.m., the full moon will take on a striking blood-like hue as it becomes fully shrouded by Earth's shadow.

The total lunar eclipse -- which occurs when Earth positions itself directly between the sun and the moon, preventing sunlight from reaching the moon's surface -- will be the first such blood moon in seven years, the museum said.

Because the moon will not vanish entirely during the eclipse, sunlight refracted through the Earth's atmosphere will scatter into the shadow, giving our planet's only natural satellite a characteristic reddish glow.

Another eagerly anticipated astronomical event in 2025 will be the Geminid meteor shower, which is set to peak on Dec. 14, the museum said.

Viewing conditions for the Geminids are expected to be excellent this year due to minimal moonlight, and around 150 meteors per hour may be seen under optimal viewing conditions, the museum added.

The museum recommends that stargazers head to areas with minimal light pollution to maximize their chances of seeing this celestial show.

Unlike most meteor showers, which are typically caused by comets, the Geminids originate from asteroid 3200 Phaethon. The dazzling meteor display is visible from Earth as the planet passes through the debris trail left by the asteroid.

The Geminid meteor shower in December, as well as the Quadrantids in January and the Perseids in August, can be observed with the naked eye.