Enjoy today once-in-a-blue-moon treat!
The moon today will disappear for more than one hour when the Earth casts a shadow on the full moon. Yes, it is a rare Total Lunar Eclipse today, and a rare celestial event, because it is a combination of blue moon, blood moon and super moon --- all in one. The last time such an event was viewed from India was almost 35 years ago, on December 30, 1982. In Kolkata, the total eclipse can be viewed between 6.21 pm and 7.37 pm.
The moon will rise over Kolkata at 5.17 pm, just before the lunar eclipse also sets in. The total eclipse is expected to last for an hour and 15 minutes. The super moon and blue moon this year is also a blood moon. This term is derived from the reddish copper hue that the moon’s surface gets when the sunlight passing through the earth’s atmosphere breaks into its constituent colours and the red part of the sunlight gets scattered the least. This light next falls on the moon’s surface, giving it a reddish colour.
The moon today is also a super moon as it is much bigger in size than the usual moon and the eclipse will take place near its perigee, the closest point to earth on its elliptical orbit.
