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Total lunar eclipse tonight

SOUTH Africans can expect to see a total lunar eclipse of the moon tonight.

It will be visible across the whole country from 8.22pm until 11.03pm and the moon will turn red.

"A lunar eclipse of the moon occurs when the moon passes through a shadow of the earth. It can only occur at full moon when the earth is between the moon and the sun," Professor Derck Smits said.

He said it was only under these conditions that the moon could pass through the shadow of the earth.

Smits said the shadow of the earth had two parts, the penumbra (partial shadow) and the umbra (complete shadow).

"The moon passes through the umbra, an umbral eclipse occurs and the moon will turn into a red colour.

"The earth's atmosphere tends to scatter blue light, this then results in only red light passing through, causing the moon to be red in colour."

But weather expert Mnikeli Ndabambi said people from certain parts of the country might not be lucky.

"A frontal system will be approaching from the southwest of the country, resulting in cloudy to overcast conditions over most areas of Western Cape as well as the western part of Northern Cape. This might obscure the lunar eclipse," Ndabambi said.

"At this stage the Lunar eclipse should be more visible in Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, eastern parts of North West and eastern Free State and eastern part of Eastern Cape," he said.

Ndabambi said while it would not be clear in the rest of the areas, it would not be visible at all over the Western Cape and western part of Northern Cape.

Smits said for an astronaut on the moon the sun would be completely blocked by the earth and would illuminate the earth's atmosphere from behind.

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