TEHRAN The sky was completely dim for two hours as the white lamp of the sky closed its eyes and stopped illumination. The first lunar eclipse of the 21st century occurred worldwide.

In Iran this natural phenomenon (eclipse) started at 21:19 hours (Tehran time) and ended at 00:21 hours on Wednesday, providing a good opportunity for astronomers and researchers to view a full eclipse of the moon for quite a long period of time.

This phenomenon occurs because at umbra, or full shadow, the earth's atmosphere refracts the light from the sun, filling out all sunlight colors except for those tints in the orange and red parts of the spectrum.

Last night was a good chance for researchers, students and tourists and those who are interested in astronomy to watch the wonderful phenomenon. In Tehran, we saw a large number of people from different walks of life using telescope and all were interested in finding new things in the sky above them.

People in Iran and millions more in America, Europe, Asia and Africa witnessed the first total eclipse of the moon in the 21st century for almost two hours on Tuesday night. Eager astronomers set up telescopes, hoping for a glimpse of a blood-red moon.

IRNA said in a report, a partial eclipse of the moon was last seen in Shesh-Talan Village southeast of Saravan, Sistan-Baluchestan Province (in Southeast Iran) on July 16, during which the moon turned ruddy red.

It is worth knowing that prayers, witches and clouds greeted the first lunar eclipse of the millennium. The moon was tinged with red Monday as it dipped behind the earth's shadow for the first lunar eclipse of the third millennium, an event marked with fear and incantations among the superstitious, and excitement but also exasperation among an army of astronomers, AFP reported.

Skywatchers in Europe and Africa, as well as the Middle East and most of Western Asia, were best-placed to enjoy the eclipse, which began at 1842 GMT, when the earth moved between the sun and the moon, casting a bite-sized shadow over its own satellite.

The depth of color depends mainly on the state of dust pollution in the upper atmosphere caused by volcanic eruptions. As the last major eruption occurred in 1991, in Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, many astronomers had great hopes for a good show.

For people indoor, the Internet was a salvation, thanks to several Websites that transmitted images from clear-sky locations through Webcoms.

Eclipses have always been touted by some as a sign of ill omen -- often feared as a harbinger of war, a crop failure or natural disaster.

And the BBC reported that an estimated 1,500 white witches were planning to gather in Britain, Sweden, Iceland, France, Canada and Australia during the eclipse to ward off any doom it might bring.