TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A total lunar eclipse, or a “super blood moon", will be visible in Indonesia on Wednesday, stated Margiono, head of the Kupang Geophysical Station of the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG).

"The process of a total lunar eclipse will take place from 16.46 p.m. until 19.28 p.m. local time (on (May 26, 2021),” he informed here on Tuesday.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, the earth, and the moon are aligned, and when the moon is in the umbra, or in the darkest part of the earth, he said.

At its peak, the moon will appear red, which is why it is also known as a “blood moon”, he added.

The moon will also appear larger than during the normal full moon phases, as at the time of the eclipse, it will reach the perigee, that is it will have the nearest approach to earth.

"Hence, the total lunar eclipse that will occur on May 26, 2021 is also known as the ‘super blood moon’, as it occurs when the moon is in perigee," Margiono explained.

The head of station said the entire eclipse process, from the initial phase to the final phase, would last for 5 hours 5 minutes and 2 seconds.

While the total eclipse, from the beginning of the total phase, the total peak, to the end of the total phase, will last 18 minutes and 44 seconds.

BMKG will monitor the eclipse from several locations across Indonesia using telescopes equipped with detectors and information technology, and the results of its observation will be disseminated via the https://www.bmkg.go.id/gbt webpage.

The eclipse would be visible if the weather is cloudy and is safe to be witnessed directly, without special eclipse glasses, by the public, said BMKG.

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