KARACHI: The Institute of Space Science and Technology (ISST) at Karachi University (KU) will be hosting skywatchers to see a rare celestial treat — one of the longest total lunar eclipses — on the night between Sept 7 and 8 with the help of telescopes.

According to officials, the total lunar eclipse, also known as “blood moon”, will last from 10:31pm to 11:53pm on Sunday.

“It will be an exceptionally lengthy total lunar eclipse that’s expected to last for over 80 minutes, one of the longest in decades,” said ISST Director Prof Javed Iqbal.

The long lasting eclipse, he said, would be visible to billions of people across Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe. “A lunar eclipse happens when the sun, earth and moon all align so that the moon passes into the earth’s shadow, causing the moon to be darkened.”

He said it’s the second total lunar eclipse of 2025 and unlike solar eclipses, it’s safe to view without any eye protection.

At the KU’s observatory, visitors can watch the astronomical event with the help of telescopes.

“We have a 16-inch and an eight-inch telescope that our students also use. We will be there to facilitate visitors for the event. The first phase of the eclipse will start from 8:28pm onwards while the total eclipse will begin around 10:30pm.”

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2025