Asia and Europe treated to full lunar eclipse

The year’s second total lunar eclipse took place on Sunday night into Monday morning, and this time Asia had the best seats in the cosmos.

Earth’s shadow obscured this weekend’s full moon as the home planet lined up perfectly between the moon and the sun. Total eclipse lasted a lengthy one hour and 22 minutes. The entire show — starting with the first dusky bite of the moon — spanned more than five hours.

The shorter total lunar eclipse in March offered prime viewing in the Americas. But this month's spectacle — called a blood moon because of its red shadowy hue — unfolded on the opposite side of the world Sunday night and early Monday, local time.

The entire eclipse was visible in Asia — from Saudi Arabia to the Philippines, as far north as the Arctic Ocean all the way down to Antarctica — as well as parts of East Africa and the western half of Australia. The rest of Africa and Australia, as well as Europe, saw some but not all of the action. Tidbits were visible from the Brazilian coast and part of Alaska.

The moon’s vanishing act will be followed in two weeks by a partial solar eclipse visible from New Zealand, a sliver of Australia and Antarctica.