An eclipse is a total or partial obscuration of one celestial body by another, the most dramatic being solar eclipses (kusūf) and lunar eclipses (khusūf) . These were universally visible and attracted widespread attention as awe-inspiring celestial phenomena, often associated with important events and perceived as beneficent or maleficent omens. Beginning in antiquity, specialised observers noted variations in eclipse duration, changes in the apparent size of the Sun and Moon, the varying brightness of the planets, and colour changes (the eclipsed Moon ranges from white to deep red) (Goldstein; Montelle,