Total Lunar Eclipse Oct 8, 2014
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| Total Lunar Eclipse, Dec 14, 2011 |
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| Total lunar eclipse composite, Dec 2011 |
Last time we saw a total lunar eclipse in India
was in December 2011 when it was seen in full glory all across India. Now the
time has come once again to view another Total Lunar eclipse but with a
difference! A total lunar eclipse will take place on evening of October 8,
2014, Totality
will not be seen in india as moon would be in penumbral eclipse at the time of
rise. We in delhi will get to see only the penumbral eclipse and that too while
moon is low on the horizon.
The entire October 08 eclipse is visible from the
Pacific Ocean and regions immediately bordering it. The northwestern 1/3 of
North America also witnesses all stages. Farther east, various phases occur
after moonset. For instance, the Moon sets during totality from eastern Canada
and the USA. Observers in South America also experience moonset during the
early stages of the eclipse. All phases are visible from New Zealand and
eastern 1/4 of Australia - the Moon rises during the early partial phases from
Australia's west coast. Most of Japan and easternmost Asia catch the entire
eclipse as well. Farther west in Asia, various stages of the eclipse occur
before moonrise. None of the eclipse is visible from Europe, Africa, and the
Middle East.
Visibility of the Eclipse
Legend
Intense red shading: Observers within this area
can see the eclipse from beginning to end.
Red shading right/east of intense shading:
Observers within this area can see the eclipse after moonrise/sunset.
Red shading left/west of intense shading:
Observers within this area can see the eclipse until moonset/sunrise.
No coloring: Eclipse is not visible at all
Note: Actual eclipse visibility depends on
weather conditions
Courtsey : timeanddate.com
Timings of the
Eclipse:
Penumbral Eclipse begins 8
Oct, 08:17 8 Oct, 13:47 No,
below horizon
Partial Eclipse begins 8 Oct, 09:18
8 Oct, 14:48 No, below horizon
Full Eclipse begins 8
Oct, 10:27 8 Oct, 15:57 No,
below horizon
Maximum Eclipse 8
Oct, 10:55 8 Oct, 16:25 No,
below horizon
Full Eclipse ends 8 Oct, 11:22 8 Oct, 16:52 No,
below horizon
Partial Eclipse ends 8
Oct, 12:32 8 Oct, 18:02 Yes
Penumbral Eclipse ends 8 Oct, 13:32
8 Oct, 19:02 Yes
* The Moon is below
the horizon in New Delhi some of the time, so that part of the eclipse is not
visible
What is Lunar
Eclipse?
We live in a world that seems so ordered; the Sun
rises, goes across the sky and then sets. The Moon goes through its phases from
new to full and back again. It all seems like clockwork, and then, something
unusual happens that seems to throw the orderly timing of the cosmos into
chaos. On a night when the moon rises full and beautiful, it starts to change;
at first it is so subtle few notice it. But then, every so slowly, the moon
begins to dim, and more alarming yet, it disappears.
One can only imagine how frightening the sight of
a lunar eclipse must have been for our ancestors. Far more than us, they were
in tune with the rhythms of the cosmos, the motions of the Sun, Moon and
planets were the motions these people lived by. They told time by the daily passing
of the Sun, or full moon to full moon gauged longer periods of time. And the
very stars marked the passing of seasons. The skies were orderly and
dependable, except for when an eclipse happened. During that time, chaos
reigned, and our ancestors prayed and begged for the Moon to be returned to the
sky.
Types of Lunar
Eclipses
An eclipse of the moon occurs when the earth is
in a direct line between the sun and the moon. The moon does not have any light
of its own; instead, it reflects the sun's light. During a lunar eclipse, the
moon is in the earth's shadow. It will often look dim and sometimes copper or
orange in color. The lighter part of Earth's shadow is call the
"penumbra" and the totally dark part is called the "umbra".
If you see a chart that says the lunar eclipse is going to be penumbral, this
means that the Moon will only pass through the lighter part of Earth's shadow.
A partial lunar eclipse occurs when only part of the Moon passes through the
umbra, or darkest part, of Earth's shadow. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs
when moon passes through penumbra, the lighter part of the shadow
Why lunar
eclipses don't occur every month:
Since lunar eclipses occur always at full moon,
it makes sense to ask why each full moon does not generate one. Eclipses are
relatively rare because the plane in which the moon orbits around Earth is
tilted 5 degrees compared to the plane of Earth's travels around the sun, a
plane that astronomers call the ecliptic.
To visualize, think of two hula hoops — one big
and one small — floating on the surface of a pool, and push the inner one down
so that half of it is below the surface and half above. When the moon gets into
the ecliptic — right at the surface of the pool — during its full phase, then a
lunar eclipse occurs. (The word "ecliptic" stems from the word
"eclipse.")
The geometry of any eclipse — the relative
positions of the sun, Earth and moon — is eventually repeated during a set of
complex cycles that each last just more than 18 years. This Saros cycle, as the
whole thing is called, is behind the bunching of eclipses, too. Astronomers
have figured it out and can predict eclipse timing and circumstances far into
future.
