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In this Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018 file photo, a super blue blood moon rises behind the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple on the Acropolis of Athens, Greece. | Photo Credit: AP
A total lunar eclipse will occur on May 26 but it will be visible in the country for a short span from northeastern India, some parts of West Bengal, coastal parts of Odisha and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the eclipse will be visible in the region covering South America, North America, Asia, Australia, Antarctica, the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
"From India, just after moonrise, ending of partial phase of the eclipse will be visible for a short span of time from the northeastern parts (except Sikkim), some parts of West Bengal, some costal parts of Odisha and Andaman and Nicobar Islands," the IMD said.
The partial phase of the eclipse will begin at 3.15 p.m. and end at 6.23 p.m., while the total phase will begin at 4.39 p.m. and end at 4.58 p.m.
The eclipse can be seen from Port Blair from 5.38 p.m. and viewed for 45 minutes, the longest time. It can be seen from Puri and Malda from 6.21 p.m. but can only be viewed for two minutes.
The next lunar eclipse will be visible from India on November 19. It will be a partial lunar eclipse. The ending of the partial phase of which will be visible for a very short span of time just after moonrise from extreme northeastern parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
Lunar eclipse occurs on a full moon day when the Earth comes in between the Sun and the Moon and when all the three objects are aligned. A total lunar eclipse will occur when the whole Moon comes under the umbral shadow of the Earth and the partial lunar eclipse occurs when only a part of the Moon comes under the umbral shadow of the Earth.
A rare Super Blood Moon will be seen in the eastern sky on May 26 evening, just after a total lunar eclipse, Director of MP Birla Planetarium and renowned astrophysicist Debiprasad Duari said. “At perigee a full moon looks 30% bigger and 14% brighter than an average full moon. That is the reason the full moon will shine brighter and also look bigger on that night,” he said. Explaining the reason behind calling it a blood moon, Duari said as the totally eclipsed moon takes a dark blackish red colour, it is called a blood moon. “This happens because of the comparatively less deviation of the red part of the moon light through the earth’s atmosphere and falling on the moon’s surface,” he said.
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