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  Metros   Delhi  27 Jul 2018  Rare celestial event: Cloudy skies may play spoilsport

Rare celestial event: Cloudy skies may play spoilsport

PTI
Published : Jul 27, 2018, 5:18 am IST
Updated : Jul 27, 2018, 5:18 am IST

Lunar eclipse will last for more than 103.6 minutes .

The eclipse will also coincide with the closest approach of Mars to Earth. The Nehru Planetarium in the national capital will organise a ‘Moon Carnival’ on Friday
 The eclipse will also coincide with the closest approach of Mars to Earth. The Nehru Planetarium in the national capital will organise a ‘Moon Carnival’ on Friday

New Delhi: Friday’s lunar eclipse is tipped to be the longest in the century and planetariums across the country have made elaborate arrangements for enthusiasts, but rains and cloudy skies are likely to play a spoilsport, astronomy experts feel.

The eclipse will also coincide with the closest approach of Mars to Earth. The Nehru Planetarium in the national capital will organise a ‘Moon Carnival’ on Friday

N. Ratnashree, the director of the Nehru Planetarium, said besides arranging five telescopes, the centre has also organised lectures pertaining to the eclipse. Amateur astronomers have also volunteered to guide people tomorrow about the eclipse, she said.

“But all this is subject to the rains and cloudy sky. There is already a lot of enthusiasm among people,” Ms Ratnashree added.  The Astronomical Society of India (ASI) cautioned against creating a hype around this event.  “For serious astronomers, this event does offer an extraordinary opportunity to study Mars through their telescopes. However, a layman who might expect to see dramatic details of the surface of Mars would probably be disappointed,” it said in a statement.

“Since we are in the middle of the monsoon here in India, the sky is likely to be cloudy,” it said.  “People in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), and Tamil Nadu are most likely to be able to witness the event clearly,” Aniket Sule, chair, Public Outreach and Education Committee, ASI said.

Tomorrow night, the total lunar eclipse will coincide with another relatively rare celestial phenomenon known as the Mars opposition.

Ms Ratnashree said the moon would enter the penumbral shadow of the Earth at about 10.53 pm IST. Nothing much will be noticeable to the untrained eyes for next 30-40 minutes. After that, one might notice gradual change in the brightness on the lunar disk.

By 11.54 pm, the Moon will enter the umbra of the Earth’s shadow. The dark shadow will now be seen progressing on the lunar disk. This will be quite noticeable to the naked eyes.

“At 1 am of July 28, the Moon will be completely inside the umbra of the Earth. Then the colour of the lunar disk will be red with it’s many hues — crimson, brick red. The time of the maximum eclipse is 1.51 am. The eclipse will end at 2.43 am, it will be out of umbral shadow by 03.49 am and completely out of penumbra at 5 am. The eclipse will last for 103.6 minutes,” Ms Ratnashree said. Mars will rise around the sunset time and will set around the time of sunrise. An opposition happens when Mars is the closest to Earth in its orbit, both on the same side of the Sun.    

Tags: earth’s shadow, ratnashree, astronomical society of india