[en] Eu³⁺-doped triple phosphate Ca₈MgR(PO₄)₇ (R=La, Gd, Y) was synthesized by the general high-temperature solid-state reaction. Excitation and emission spectra as well as luminescence decay were used to characterize the phosphors. Photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra showed that the phosphor could be efficiently excited by UV-vis light from 260 to 450 nm to give bright red emission assigned to the transition (⁵D₀→⁷F₂) at 612 nm. The richness of the red color has been verified by determining their color coordinates (X, Y) from the CIE standard. - Graphical abstract: The RT luminescence spectra of Ca₈MgR(PO₄)₇ (R=La, Gd, Y) under 254 nm excitation using lamp source with the same conditions. The red emission lines at 612 nm originating from the electric dipole transition ⁵D₀-⁷F₂ is the dominant luminescence in the spectrum. It is found that the emission intensity of Eu³⁺ ions in Ca₈MgR(PO₄)₇ (R=La, Gd, Y) decreases in the sequence of R=Gd>Y>La