Over 700 people were gathered at The Lakeside @ Omni Theatre on Thursday morning for a rare viewing of a total lunar eclipse organized by the Singapore Science Centre.

10 pm: Groups of friends, families and couples start to flow in to The Lakeside @ Omni Theatre.
11:17 pm: The crowd enjoys a screening of Avatar.
23:50 pm: Light sticks and mats were on sale for the unprepared attendees.
23:51 pm: Attendees were even treated to movie screening of Transformers under the stars and skies.
11:35 pm: Telescopes were set up by members of The Astronomical Society of Singapore (TASOS) for close-up viewings of the Moon.
1:10 am: The Moon shines brightly in the skies before the eclipse.

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1:52 am: Attendees to the event queue up for a closer look at the Moon through telescopes.
2:40 am: A talk on eclipses was given by Albert Lim, Vice President of TASOS. According to Albert, a total eclipse happens when the position of the Earth coincides between the Sun and Moon, and can only happen during a full moon. Having both requirement met is a rare event for the planets.
2:40 am: The audience listens attentively to the talk by Albert, while looking over their heads periodically to catch a view of the Moon.
2:54 am: Part of the moon starts to hide behind the Earth's shadow.
3:02 am: Most of the moon was already "swallowed" up by the shadow of the Earth.

The Blood Moon eclipse was a rare sight for most, if not all, as it was the longest total lunar eclipse in 10 years, lasting 1 hour and 40 minutes, with the next eclipse visible to Singapore occurring in 2018.

The Moon turns red during the eclipse as the light passes through ash and dust in the Earth’s atmosphere. Unfortunately, cloudy skies and rain rendered the Moon invisible after it had hid itself behind the Earth’s shadow.

3:31 am: It started to rain and attendees had to move into the Omni-Theatre to continue with the movie screenings. The moon was no longer visible at this point in time.
3:35 am: One of the telescopes was too heavy to be moved in time, and had to be wrapped in trash bags and shielded by an umbrella to endure the passing showers.

The event ended at 6 am, and most visitors were happy to have caught at least part of the eclipse, together with the movie screenings and a fun night out with their loved ones.

A video of the lunar eclipse as it happened can be watched here: