How many of you are fascinated by the moon? The moon is probably one of the most beautiful celestial objects visible from the Earth. It is also our nearest celestial neighbour, orbiting our planet from a distance of about 3,84,400 km. The moon is considered to be so fascinating that even poets and philosophers have used it as a metaphor to describe beauty. But on the night of June 5-6 2020, the moon is going to look different and unusual because of a LUNAR ECLIPSE. Get ready to witness it yourself!
PENUMBRAL LUNAR ECLIPSE
ECLIPSES: Eclipses are a rare celestial occurrence when two or more celestial bodies are caught in a game of shadows. Similar to how shadows are cast in our every day lives; an eclipse happens when a celestial body blocks the path of light of another celestial body. Two types of eclipses are visible from our planet:
SOLAR ECLIPSE: It happens when the moon comes between the Sun and the Earth and casts a shadow on our planet. Depending on our place of residence on Earth and the exact distance from the moon, we may see one out of an annular, partial or total solar eclipse.
LUNAR ECLIPSE: It happens when the earth comes between the sun and the moon and its shadow is cast on the moon. Depending on where the moon lies in the shadow of the Earth, we may get to witness one out of the following lunar eclipses:
- Penumbral lunar eclipse
- Partial lunar eclipse
- Total lunar eclipse
VIEW OF THE MOON DURING VARIOUS LUNAR ECLIPSES
SHADOW REGIONS OF THE EARTH: Just like the shadow of every other object, the earth’s shadow can be divided into umbra and penumbra region.
UMBRA AND PENUMBRA OF EARTH’S SHADOW
- A TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE would be visible if the moon lies in the Umbra region of the shadow of our planet.
- A PENUMBRAL LUNAR ECLIPSE would be visible if the moon lies in the Penumbra region of the shadow of our planet.
- A PARTIAL LUNAR ECLIPSE would be visible if the moon lies both in the Umbra and the Penumbra region of the shadow of our planet.
POSITION OF MOON DURING A PARTIAL LUNAR ECLIPSE
MARK THE DATE; 5-6 JUNE, 2020: On this day, residents of South Africa, parts of South America, the entire southern Asian continent, Australia and even Antarctica would be the lucky ones to view a penumbral lunar eclipse which is the second one this year.
REGIONS IN PINK AND DARK BLUE WOULD WITNESS THE PENUMBRAL LUNAR ECLIPSE ON JUNE 5-6, 2020
TIMELINE: The eclipse begins in Johannesburg, South Africa at 5.45 pm (GMT), travels to Myanmar and Nigeria and enters India at 11.15 pm (IST), as to be seen in New Delhi. The eclipse continues to travel to Bangkok (Thailand), Sydney (Australia), Athens (Greece), Rome (Italy), Madrid (Spain) and finally ends at London (U.K.) at 9.04 pm (GMT), the next day.
The times below are actual times in UTC when the eclipse occurs.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR A LUNAR ECLIPSE: Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse can be viewed directly through naked eyes. In case of solar eclipses, make sure you have protective gear to view the sun. So go to your roof tops at night and enjoy this rare astronomical event!
MYTHS ABOUT LUNAR ECLIPSE: Just like folk tales and legends around the solar eclipse, people also believe that lunar eclipse brings bad luck and disasters.
- The Inca feared that a lunar eclipse was caused by a jaguar attacking the moon. They’d try to drive it away by making noise, including beating their dogs to make them howl and bark.
- Some Hindu folktales interpret lunar eclipses as the result of the demon Rahu drinking the elixir of immortality.
- Christianity has equated lunar eclipses (blood moon during a total lunar eclipse) with the wrath of God, and often associates them with the crucifixion of Jesus.
SCIENCE AND MYTHS: Scientists and astronomers around the world have debunked the folk tales which revolve around the event of an eclipse. There is no scientific evidence of an eclipse bringing bad luck, disasters or diseases to our world. So mark your calendars for this breathtaking celestial event and enjoy with your friends and family!
