Hundreds of Mumbaikars flock to see super blue moon

Mumbai: For a better view of Wednesday’s rare celestial occurrence of the lunar eclipse, blue moon and full moon all together, nearly 100 Mumbaikars flocked to the Nehru Planetarium in Worli, which organised a moon-watching programme for these enthusiasts. The planetarium installed as many as six big telescopes in an open area in its premises for people to witness the astronomical occurrence.

In Mumbai, the super blue moon was to be visible from 6.35 pm. Arvind Paranjpye, director, Nehru Planetarium, said, “It is recommended to go out and see the moon rather than watching it on television. Since it is a lunar eclipse and not a solar eclipse, it is not harmful and can be seen with the naked eye.”

The institution web telecast the eclipse for those unaware of the phenomenon. Several visitors were also present in the planetarium during the day for regular programmes. While some of the visitors decided to stay back to see the moon in all its glory, others decided to watch it from their terrace.

Ramesh Murthy, a visitor, said, “We chose to stay back for the evening programme as the staff members could also guide us about the simultaneous occurrence of the lunar eclipse, blue moon and full moon. It was a good learning experience for us.”

Reportedly, the phenomenon has occurred after 35 years. Speaking about the myths around eclipses, the planetarium director said that there were no harmful effects of such occurrences.