Mumbai (The Hawk): The globe will witness an exciting and terrifying spectacle of a "Blood Moon" lunar eclipse on the evening of November 8 as the Earth's shadow envelops its lone satellite for about one and a half hours, a renowned astronomer said here on Monday.
According to Prof. Bharat Adur, Director of the Akash Ganga Centre for Astronomy (AGCA) here, the lunar eclipse will be visible in totality in the northeastern states exactly 14 days (two Tuesdays) after the partial solar eclipse on October 25 but will only be partially visible in the rest of India in the evening as the sun sets.
"The Moon will appear a dark reddish colour tomorrow when the Earth's towering shadow covers it, almost like a big drop of blood balanced in the sky. This occurrence is known as a "Blood Moon," and it is a fascinating sight "Prof. Adur added.
He advised people to observe it wherever they could because it would be the last total lunar eclipse and the next one wouldn't come until September 7, 2025.
According to Professor Adur, when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, its enormous shadow will completely or partially envelop the little natural satellite from an astounding distance of 3.93 lakh kilometres away.
The Sun is approximately 109 times larger than Earth and is located more than 148 million kilometres away, whilst the Earth is almost four times larger than the Moon and is located an average of 3,85 lakh kilometres away from it.
Prof. Adur explained that during a total lunar eclipse, the Moon is completely covered by the Earth's deepest shadow, known as the "umbra," and at this point, the Moon appears dark-reddish, or what is known as the "Blood Moon" event.
The only sunlight that reaches the Moon during a lunar eclipse goes through the Earth's atmosphere, giving the Moon the appearance of being reddish. This phenomenon is known scientifically as "Rayleigh Scattering."
People in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, sections of Asia, Russia, the Americas (North and South), Australia, the North Atlantic and Pacific Ocean regions, and portions of the Middle East can observe this celestial event, which is the second since the last partial solar eclipse (October 25).
Prof. Adur reassured that there is absolutely no damage in observing the rare "Blood Moon" on Tuesday with naked eyes or with binoculars, which would accentuate the reddish colour, notwithstanding the dreadful myths or very religious features linked with any eclipse (solar or lunar).
The final eclipse of 2022 will be visible in totality on Tuesday in the northeastern districts of India, including Kohima, Agartala, Guwahati, and other locations worldwide.
The thrilling beginning phases of both the partial and total eclipses won't be visible in most other parts of India because the Moon will be below the horizon during the eclipse hours, he said.
Only the partial phase may be seen in Mumbai, Kolkata, New Delhi, and Chennai, and only 14% of the Moon's obscuration can be seen at 18.03 hours in the setting sun in the nation's commercial capital.
According to Prof. Adur, the Moon would appear to be 60% covered in Nagpur, 66% in Srinagar, and to variable degrees in other locations.
On October 28, 2023, there will be another partial lunar eclipse that will be visible in some regions of the country, so if people miss the "Blood Moon" on Tuesday, they can wait. The professor grinned.
(Inputs from Agencies)
