TIRUCHY: Seizing an opportunity in a rare total lunar eclipse on the intervening night of September 7 and 8, a group of government schoolteachers and astronomy clubs in Tiruchy have taken it upon themselves to challenge taboos often associated with such celestial events and educate school students – and in turn, their parents – that it is nothing but a “natural and beautiful event worth watching”.
Among them are the teachers at the government high school in Posampatti who on Tuesday launched a campaign, ‘Conquering the Eclipse’. Taking to chalk drawings on the ground, they demonstrated to students and parents how Earth’s shadow falls on the moon.
“For generations, people here have been told not to cook, eat or step out during an eclipse. Our students are carrying home a different message - that it is a natural, beautiful event worth watching,” said headmaster S Sargunam. Another active campaigner is S Uma, secretary of the Tiruchy Astro Club and a government schoolteacher in Manikandam block, who has visited 10 schools so far to educate children on the celestial event.
In each of the schools she visited, Uma spent about 10 minutes explaining the science behind the eclipse using simple materials available in classrooms. Backed by posters from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, her team is also distributing about 2,000 leaflets so that students can spread awareness in their household, too.
“From skipping meals to shutting doors, eclipses in Tamil Nadu have long been wrapped in superstition. But this time, children will be stepping out with sky maps and charts, determined to replace fear with wonder,” Uma said. Scientists say the eclipse is significant.
It will span nearly five hours, from 8.58 pm on September 7 to 2.25 am on September 8. The highlight will be the 1 hour 22 minutes of totality between 11.00 pm and 12.22 am, when the moon will glow a deep red – the ‘Copper Moon’.
“This ‘Blood Moon’ is not a bad omen, it is physics at work,” said Dr Ravichandran, founder of the Raman Science Research Centre, before stating that the phenomenon is due to Earth’s atmosphere bending sunlight, scattering red wavelengths onto the lunar surface. Meanwhile, telescopes will be set up at Bishop Heber College and at BHEL township, while schools in Thuraiyur will host open-air sessions to view the eclipse.