Total Lunar Eclipse TODAY !!!

Opportunity that comes once in several years.


The Lunar eclipse today is a total eclipse of the Moon.
May be the most striking for years.
The darkest since the year 2000.


Unfortunately major portion of the eclipse occurs over the southern Indian Ocean as it passes through the central dark umbra of the Earth's shadow turning a deep Moon reddish-brown as all direct sunlight is blocked.




In fact, the umbra is never black it turns reddish due to the fact that sunlight is refracted and scattered around the edge of the Earth by our planet's atmosphere. A phenomenon similar to red sky at sunset and sunrise.

The umbra is not illuminated evenly, though, since less of this indirect light penetrates to its core and the amount reaching different zones of the umbra is affected by varying atmospheric conditions. In particular, dust thrown up by major volcanic eruptions can render the atmosphere less transparent and the eclipsed Moon so dark that it practically disappears.


Timings of events :

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Today's eclipse begins when the Moon's eastern limb begins to enter the penumbra of the Earth's shadow at 17:25 GMT.

Moon begins to enter the umbra at 18:23.

Totality, with the Moon entirely within the umbra:

Start from 19:22
mid eclipse at 20:13
until 21:03.

The Moon's W limb withdraws from the umbra by 22:02 and finally exits the penumbra at 23:01.

( All timing GMT .. for India add 5Hrs and 30 Mts .. eg 17:25 GMT = 22:55 IST )



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Don’t just read this.

Go up on the terrace. Look to moon .. very rare opportunity boys !!!!


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Post Eclipse added the accompanying photograph uploaded by one of the moon watchers.



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