Here's a good news for all the Skywatchers in India as the first lunar eclipse of 2018 will be visible in India. Astro-enthusiasts will be able to watch the January 31's total lunar eclipse, which is coinciding with a blue moon and a supermoon, with naked eyes.
A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth moves in between the sun and the moon and blocks the sunlight that normally reflects off the moon. Instead of sunlight reflecting on the moon's surface, Earth's shadow falls on it.
A lunar eclipse is visible from Earth at night and 2018's first celestial event will be visible in India as well.
"During a total lunar Eclipse the moon gets shadowed by the Earth, but the red part of sunlight passing through the Earth's atmosphere gets scattered by the atmosphere and falls on the moon surface thereby making the Moon take a reddish copper hue," Debiprasad Duari, director (Research & Academics), M P Birla Planetarium told the Press Trust of India.
According to him, the lunar eclipse will start from 5.18 pm local time and the total eclipse will take place at around 6.21 pm and it is expected to last till 7.37 pm.
In the northeastern and eastern parts, the eclipse will take place just after the moon rise. In Kolkata, it is expected to take place at around 5.17 pm.
The rare celestial event will also be visible in the US, northeastern Europe, Russia, Asia and Australia, Duari said.
Not just lunar eclipse, this January 31, blue moon and supermoon will also treat skygazers. After 150 years, the lunar trilogy – a blue moon, a total lunar eclipse and a supermoon – will fall on the same day. In March 1866, astro-enthusiasts witnessed a celestial event like this and it will illuminate the sky again on January 31.
