Total Lunar eclipse, must see celestial event for all
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- Pandora Box
- Friday, 09 December 2011 16:38
- Published on Friday, 09 December 2011 16:38
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Gujarat Global News Network, Ahmedabad
Stargazers in Ahmedabad and Gujarat will have close to five hours to enjoy the celestial event- total lunar eclipse. You should not miss it because the next total lunar eclipse is six years away in August 2017.
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This one, to occur on the night of December 10, will have the advantage of a clear winter night. This advantage is not in other seasons. Lunar Eclipses (unlike Solar Eclipses) are completely safe to observe with the naked eye - no special equipment is needed.
Telescope observations can be done, however at full moon the lack of contrast due to absence of shadow regions means that visible features are limited. Binoculars can help improve the view, giving more magnification and intensifying the colouration. A pair of 7x50 or 10x50's are needed - any larger than that with a steady tripod to mount them on would be the best.
Sometimes a Total Lunar Eclipse is best viewed without any optical aid, and just lying under the stars watching the change as the Moon first gets slightly darker (penumbral phase), then starts to get eaten away (partial phase), finally turning deep red as it enters totality.
For something different, try predicting the Danjon Brightness Scale - a measure of the colour and brightness during totality. In Ahmedabad and also the other parts of the Gujarat, the Lunar Eclipse will be visible from 6.16 pm to 9.48 pm on the Saturday.
The time of the maximum eclipse is 8.27 pm when the Moon will be very dark. The sky assumes the likeness of a new moon night. One can see lots of faint stars. By 10:00 p.m. the shadow play will be over and a bright full moon will illuminate the Earth.
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