Last lunar eclipse of 2021 to occur on November 18

Last lunar eclipse of 2021 to occur on November 18

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Nov 08, 2021: As the Moon glides past Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter, which are visible after sunset, November comes loaded with celestial events. With the three planets gliding past our views, the moon will enter into a partial lunar eclipse overnight on November 18 and 19.

 

According to Nasa, the moon will slip into Earth’s shadow for a couple of hours and will be visible if weather conditions permit. The eclipse will be visible across the world where the Moon appears above the horizon during the eclipse.

According to timeanddate.com, the partial lunar eclipse, the last lunar eclipse of 2021, will be visible from North and South America, Australia, and parts of Europe and Asia. Astronomers are calling it the longest partial lunar eclipse, the previous longest eclipse occurred on July 27, 2018, which went on for about an hour 42 minutes.

An eclipse occurs when one heavenly body such as a moon or planet moves into the shadow of another heavenly body.

A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth comes in between the Moon and Sun. When the Sun, Earth, and the Moon are not fully aligned, the Earth obstructs some of the Sun’s light from reaching the Moon. This causes a slight darkening of the moon.

While a total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon and Sun are on opposite sides of Earth, a partial lunar eclipse happens when only part of Earth’s shadow covers the Moon. Meanwhile, when the Moon travels through the faint penumbral portion of Earth’s shadow a penumbral lunar eclipse happens.

At least two partial lunar eclipses happen every year, but total lunar eclipses are rare. Unlike solar eclipses, it is safe to look at a lunar eclipse.

“Partial lunar eclipses might not be quite as spectacular as total lunar eclipses where the Moon is completely covered in Earth’s shadow but they occur more frequently. And that just means more opportunities to witness little changes in our solar system that sometimes occur right before our eyes,” Nasa said in a release detailing astronomical events happening this month.

People in northeast India will be able to view the final phases of the partial lunar eclipse. The eclipse will begin at 11:34 am IST on November 18. The eclipse will be visible in pats of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and neighbouring regions.

Courtesy:India Today