Although the phenomenon was not fully visible due to overcast skies, the public still managed to view the penumbral lunar eclipse at around 11.30pm.

A penumbral eclipse occurs during the full moon, causing a subtle dimming as it is obscured by the Earth’s shadow. It requires a telescope pointed east to be properly observed.

One visitor, Norazura Mohd, 38, said it was the first time she and her children experienced viewing an eclipse through a telescope.

“My second child is very interested in astronomy and was extremely excited when we found out about this programme. Even though we didn’t get to see the blood moon, they at least got to see the penumbral eclipse through the telescope.

“Exposure to science like this is very beneficial for them,” she told Bernama.

Meanwhile, 27-year-old Farisha Azmira Mohd Naim said she was excited to see the blood moon for the first time, and described the phenomenon as proof of divine power.

“I found out about it on the National Planetarium’s official social media and came here at 9pm from Meru, Klang with my friends.

“Although we weren’t fortunate enough to see it, I’m still very satisfied to have experienced this with the public. It felt like getting closer to the universe created by God,” she said.

Five telescopes were set up for the event, including one dedicated to a live broadcast on the Planetarium’s official social media channels.

National Planetarium director Zamri Shah Mastor explained that the moon changes colour because the Earth blocks direct sunlight from reaching it. The red hue is caused by sunlight being refracted through our planet’s atmosphere.

“This eclipse began at 11.28pm on Sunday with the penumbral phase, reached its peak around 2am, and was forecast to end at 4.55am,” he added.