New Delhi: Parts of east and north-east India will today witness the first total lunar eclipse of 2015.
A press statement issued by Director, Research and Academic of Kolkata-based MP Birla Planetarium, Dr. Debiprosad Duari said, “Tezu and Roing in Arunachal Pradesh will witness the total lunar eclipse lasting for four minutes 43 seconds just after the moonrise. Places where the moon will be rising during the eclipse will be Dibrugarh, Imphal, Kohima and Port Blair."
As per the reports the lunar eclipse will start around 3.45 pm and the total eclipse will occur at 5.27 pm. It will remain total until 5.32 pm. The partial eclipse will last up to 7.14 p.m.
Commenting on the celestial phenomenon Dr. Duari said that the eclipse on Saturday is a unique as the duration of the totality will be very short compared to other total eclipses.
Chennaiities will be able to witness lunar eclipse only after 6.30 pm even though the eclipse begins at 3.15 pm (Indian Standard Time).
Western North America will have a front-row seat as the full moon gets painted red in the briefest eclipse this century.
“This time, rather than passing deep into the Earth shadow, the moon will be passing through the shadow's edge. The period of the totality, when the moon is fully enclosed in the Earth's umbral shadow, will last just four and half minutes or so,” Dr. Duari said.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the earth comes in between the sun and the moon, casting a shadow on the moon.
