People across China expect to witness a total lunar eclipse in the early hours of Monday for the first time in nearly three years.
The total lunar eclipse will be visible in its entirety across the country, during which the moon will appear a rare crimson hue.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, earth, and moon align, causing the moon to enter the earth's shadow. The shadow consists of the umbra and the penumbra: a total eclipse happens when the moon is fully in the umbra, a partial eclipse when only part enters, and a penumbral eclipse when it passes only through the penumbra.
The total lunar eclipse will begin at 23:28 on Sunday evening and conclude at 04:55 on Monday morning, Beijing time. The totality phase, known as the "red moon," will last from 01:31 to 02:53, with a duration of one hour and 22 minutes.
"A lunar eclipse is rare. It occurs when the earth moves right in the middle of the moon and the sun, blocking the sunlight from shining on the moon. The total lunar eclipse this time will last for a relatively long time as it will enter the earth's shadow quite deeply. It will last for nearly 80 minutes, or nearly one and a half hours," said Kou Wen, an expert at Beijing Planetarium.
"Because the earth is surrounded by a thick atmosphere, some sunlight can be refracted and scattered by the atmosphere, and a portion of the light will fall on the moon. Moreover, most of this light is long-wavelength red light. Therefore, during a total lunar eclipse, the moon appears to be red, orange, or even bronze in color," said Kou.
This eclipse can be observed with the naked eye under good weather conditions.
Total lunar eclipse to be visible across China Sunday night
Marking China's 11th Space Day, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) introduced major space projects in the 15th Five-Year Plan period on Friday in Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan in the southwest, the main venue of a series of events marking this day.
Jointly sponsored by the CNSA and the provincial government, the event revealed major sci-tech achievements and space industry updates, with Shan Zhongde, head of the CNSA, introducing China's major space projects to be implemented in the next five years.
"In the areas of entering space, utilizing space, exploring space, and governing space, we will intensify the efforts to carry out key projects including manned spaceflight, lunar probe, planetary probe, and the national satellite internet. We will pace up the demonstration and launch of a new generation of space-power initiatives such as heavy-lift rockets, reusable launch vehicles, and next-generation national space infrastructure. In the fields of lunar and planetary probe, asteroid defense, on-orbit service, and space debris mitigation, we will deepen international collaboration, build the International Lunar Research Station, have in-depth engagement in global space governance, and create an open and cooperative landscape for China's space industry to build a community with a shared future for mankind," Shan said.
The CNSA also released a series of updates marking the Space Day, including the latest lunar discoveries from the Chang'e-5 mission, two new minerals named magnesiochangesite-(Y) and changesite-(Ce), selected international partners for the Tianwen-3 Mars mission, announcement of international cooperation opportunities for the Xihe-2 mission, and the Version 1.0 of the Commercial Space Standards System.
On the same occasion, Xie Jun, deputy chief designer of the BeiDou system, Zhang Bing, member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and veteran astronaut Ye Guangfu, were appointed as the 2026 China Space Public Welfare Ambassadors.
More than 30 side events will take place across Chengdu during the Space Day period. Highlights include a space science exhibition at the Chengdu New International Convention and Exhibition Center, a VR sci-fi drama aimed at extending space knowledge, and the Space Wish Initiative launched by the China Media Group (CMG), inviting the public to share their stories related to space.
"We plan to put up over 30 activities in various forms with rich content for the Space Day to give people a feeling for the evolution and dynamism of China's space program. Aside from offering academic exchange platforms for professionals, we place more emphasis on engaging the public, particularly young people, in carrying forward the spirit and culture of space exploration," said Wang Cheng, secretary-general of the China Space Foundation.
Officials introduces space projects in 15th 5-Year Plan period
