BENGALURU: A rare celestial event will unfold this Sunday night and early Monday morning as a total lunar eclipse becomes visible in the sky. The Moon will take on a striking red hue—commonly known as a Blood Moon—offering viewers a spectacular sight across the world.
BR Guruprasad, Director, Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, said, eclipses occur when the Earth aligns between the Sun and Moon. When the Earth’s dark shadow completely covers the moon, it is called a full lunar eclipse, which is occurring this time.
When a partial shadow of the Earth falls on the moon, it is called the Penumbra. The sun’s red wavelengths pass through the Earth’s atmosphere and refract on the moon; the moon appears red. And, the blue wavelengths are scattered into the Earth’s daytime sky.
Eclipses occur twice a year and are not a rare occurrence. But this one is unique- a full lunar eclipse, its colour and clear sighting. However, the sighting is subject to weather conditions.
The last time India experienced a full lunar eclipse was in 2018, and the next will be on December 31, 2028. The regions of Japan, the North Pole, and Europe will also be able to see the eclipse on Sunday. The full lunar eclipse will be there for 1.22 hours, said astrophysicists.
Explaining further, Niruj Mohan Ramanujam, scientist, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, said, the red colour will depend on the dust in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Total lunar eclipse this Sunday
Bengaluru: Platform for Astronomy Communicators in Karnataka (PACK) is geared up to spread awareness about the upcoming total lunar eclipse on the night of September 7.
The key agenda of the event is to dispel unwarranted myths surrounding eclipses. B R Guruprasad, Director at Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, provided a step-by-step breakdown of the eclipse.
Interestingly, as highlighted by International Centre for Theoretical Sciences faculty Dr Prayush Kumar, the earth will have “a deep red or copper-coloured appearance. Interested visitors can choose to visit Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium or Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum
Lunar Spectacle
8:58 pm: Eclipse begins (Till 9.57 pm its Penumbra phase)
9:57 pm: Partial lunar eclipse begins
11:00 pm: Moon fully covered
11:00 pm– 12:22 am: Moon appears red (Blood Moon)
12:23 am: Moon starts moving out of Earth’s shadow
1:26 am: Moon re-enters penumbra
2:25 am: Eclipse ends