Mumbai, June 15: With the sun, earth and moon falling in a straight line on today`s the night, a unique celestial drama, showing the darkest lunar eclipse in the 21st century, will occur in space.
The Programme Coordinator (Scientific) at the Nehru Planetarium Suhas B Naik-Satam said, “The moon will pass through the shadow, cast by the earth, producing a beautiful spectacle in the sky. As the moon slips into the earth`s umbra (dark shadow), it will slowly turn coppery red.”
This will be the darkest lunar eclipse visible over the skies of India in the 21st Century, after the last darkest lunar eclipse 40 years back on August 6, 1971. The lunar eclipse will be visible throughout India and it will start at 23:53 (11:53 PM) and it will end at 03:32 am on June 16.
Space scientists said there`s going to be a total lunar eclipse visible from every continent except North America. The Moon will spend 100 minutes fully engulfed in Earth`s shadow, making this the longest lunar eclipse in nearly 11 years. The appearance of the eclipse might be affected by exhaust from Chile`s erupting Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano, which is also causing spectacular sunsets around the southern hemisphere.
—Agencies