OdishaLIVE Bureau
Today is the time to see the longest lunar eclipse of the century. The sky watchers will be able to see a partial solar eclipse today. It will be the third eclipse of the year. It also called as “Blood Moon” as the moon will appear red in color during the time of the lunar eclipse.
The good news is that the majority of people on planet Earth will be able to see the lunar eclipse. The eclipse starts in India at 10:44 pm on Friday night and the total lunar eclipse 2018 is expected to begin at 1:00am. The total duration of the lunar eclipse is 1:15am to 2:43am. The moon will be situated in the middle of the Earth’s shadow and appear reddish in color. It will continue till 4:58am.
“This is actually almost as long as a lunar eclipse could be,” Prof Tim O’Brien, an astrophysicist at University of Manchester, explained.
Special Celestial Event
It coincides not only with Mars’s close approach, but with what he described as a “procession of planets” – a line-up of our celestial neighbors that will give sky watchers a particularly good view of Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars.
Lunar Eclipse Date: July 27-28
Timing: 10:44 pm on July 27 to 4:58 am on July 28 in India
Total Lunar Eclipse Timing: 1 am to 2:43 am on July 27 night (28 July) in India
Events coinciding with Total Lunar Eclipse
Apart from it being century’s longest lunar eclipse, Mars will be very close to the moon on the same night. Astronomers say, Mars will be visible with the naked eye. Also, since it will be a full moon night, Guru Purnima is being observed in India on the auspicious day.
What is Blood moon or Red Moon?
While the Moon is in the Earth’s shadow, it will take on a reddish tint, known as a “Blood Moon” or Red Moon. A blood moon is the term for a total lunar eclipse due to the reddish colour of the moon.
Why will moon appear red during Total Lunar Eclipse?
During a lunar eclipse, we can see the Earth’s shadow on the moon. When Earth completely blocks the sunlight, the moon looks red or orange. A lunar eclipse can last for a few hours. At least two lunar eclipses happen every year.
Chandra Grahan or Lunar Eclipse Location: Parts of Europe, Parts of Asia, Australia, Africa, South in North America, South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Antarctica. In India, the eclipse will be visible from cities including Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru and Mumbai among others.Weatherman says monsoons can play a dampener in watching Lunar Eclipse clearly. However, in Jammu and Kashmir and Tamil Nadu, the sky would be clear and people would be able to enjoy the celestial event clearly.
What is Lunar Eclipse?
The moon orbits or goes around the Earth. The Earth orbits or goes around the sun. Once in a while, Earth lines up directly between the sun and the moon. When this happens, Earth blocks the light from the sun to the moon. The Earth’s shadow then falls on the moon. This is an eclipse of the moon. It is called a lunar eclipse, according to NASA website.
What is Total Lunar Eclipse?
A total lunar eclipse happens when the whole moon enters the Earth’s shadow. Some sunlight still reaches the moon, but first it goes through the Earth’s atmosphere. The atmosphere filters out most of the sun’s blue light, so the moon looks red.
Can we watch Lunar Eclipse with bare eyes?
One can watch a lunar eclipse with naked eye. A binocular, however, will give a better view of the great celestial event. Also, Lunar eclipses are safe to view without any eye protection or special precautions, as they are dimmer than the full Moon.
(Story: Manisha Nanda , Edit: Sriram Singh Rattan)
