Witness total lunar eclipse, blue moon, supermoon together on Jan 31
Update: 2018-01-30 20:26 IST
The world will get to see a total lunar eclipse on January 31. This is a rare phenomena as most of the world will witness a blue moon and a supermoon as well.
Let’s dwell a little further:
- This kind of triple line-up has not occurred since 1982 and won’t occur again until 2037.
- A total lunar eclipse occurs when earth comes exactly between the sun and the moon with the earth's shadow falling on the moon.
- A blue moon is the second full moon in a month whereas a supermoon is when moon appears slightly bigger and brighter than normal.
- The low brown red glow around the moon during this period is referred to as blood moon which is due to some of the sun's rays getting refracted through the earth's atmosphere and striking the moon.
- On Tuesday, the moon will be closest to Earth with over 223,000 miles (359,000 kilometers).
- In India, the total lunar eclipse will be visible from 5.20 pm.
- The main eclipse including all the three phenomena together would begin around 6.25 pm after sunset and would be over in an hour's time by 7:25 pm.
- According to the release from BM Birla Science Centre, due to supermoon, slightly higher tides in rivers and seas might be witnessed, however, there’s nothing alarming in it.