Skygazers to get glimpse of lunar eclipse tomorrow

Panaji: Skywatchers will get only a fleeting chance to observe the partial lunar eclipse on March 3, wherein the Earth’s shadow fully covers the moon and bathes it in red copper tones.

The celestial event will coincide with Holi, making it a rare merger of astronomical and cultural alignment.According to Satish Nayak, president of the Association of Friends of Astronomy (AFA) Goa, visibility is expected to be minimal due to timing and daylight conditions. Compounding the limited visibility is the fact that the event coincides with evening twilight.“This is actually a total lunar eclipse, producing a spectacular ‘blood moon’ in totality.

However, that dramatic phase will not be fully visible from Goa,” Nayak said.The moon will rise over Goa at 6.42pm, already in a partially eclipsed phase. The eclipse will conclude locally at 7.42pm.The total phase of the eclipse will be best observed from the central Pacific Ocean and parts of western North America, eastern Russia, China and Japan. “In Goa, observers are expected to see only about 3 to 5% of the eclipse,” Nayak said.During this type of lunar eclipse, Earth is between the sun and the full moon, casting a shadow that covers the moon. The so-called blood moon looks red because of stray bits of sunlight filtering through Earth’s atmosphere.