On Sunday, September 7, India will witness a rare spectacle in the night sky. The country will experience the longest full lunar eclipse since 2022. Astronomers say that, for the first time since July 27, 2018, a full lunar eclipse will be visible from all parts of India. China will also be able to witness this remarkable event, which will also be visible from the east coast of Africa and Western Australia.
What Is A Lunar Eclipse?
A lunar eclipse happens when Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon that temporarily darkens it. This occurs only during a full moon when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned. The Moon moves through Earth’s shadow, which has two parts: the umbra (darker, central shadow) and the penumbra (lighter, outer shadow).
What Time Will It Start?
The eclipse will begin on September 7 at 8.58 pm and end on September 8. The full lunar eclipse will last from 11.01 pm to 12.23 am and its duration will be 82 minutes. The partial phase will end at 1.26 am and the eclipse will end at 2.25 am on September 8. After this, the magnificent view will be visible in India on December 31, 1018. According to Public Relations and Education Committee (POEC) of the Astronomical Society of India (ASI), eclipses are rare. It does not happen every full moon or new moon, because the Moon’s orbit is tilted about five degrees from the Earth’s orbit around the Sun.
How To Watch The Lunar Eclipse?
Unlike solar eclipses, observing a total lunar eclipse does not require special equipment like binoculars, or a telescope. Astronomers say that it is safe to watch the lunar eclipse with the naked eye. The partial phase can be observed from 9.57 pm on September 7.
Why It Is Called A Blood Moon?
The moon appears red during a lunar eclipse because sunlight passing through the Earth’s atmosphere is reflected and scattered. Ryan Milligan, an astronomer from Queen’s University Belfast, explained that blue light scatters more easily than red light, which gives the moon its reddish, “bloody” glow. In Europe and Africa, a partial eclipse will be visible for a short time as the moon rises in the evening, while the eclipse will not be visible at all in America.
