Indian Sky-Gazers! Don't Miss the Super Blue Blood Moon tomorrow

What's the Science Behind It?

The ‘super blue blood moon’ gets its name from the fact that a lunar eclipse is expected to occur on the morning of 31 January – a celestial event that will temporarily give the moon a reddish or copper-ish colour, it is reported.

 This happens when the sunlight passing through the Earth’s atmosphere breaks down its constituent colours, out of which the red part gets scattered by the atmosphere and falls on the Moon's surface, thus giving it its reddish or copper-ish hue.

This moon is also called a ‘super



blue’ moon and this is simply due to the fact that the second full moon of a calendar month is traditionally referred to as a ‘blue moon’.

The ‘supermoon’ will appear larger and brighter in the sky, because during the eclipse, the Moon will be close to its perigee, The Hindu report adds.

When and How to Watch It?

The north eastern states will be able to catch a glimpse of the event first – between 4:21 pm and 5:18 pm on Wednesday.

The west coast of India and parts of Rajasthan will be able to view it from 6:21 pm to 7:37 pm.

The rest of India will see it between 5:18 PM and 6:21 PM, the report adds.

The eclipse will reportedly last for a little over an hour.

Don’t have equipment to view the moon? Don’t fret, As Dr Debiprosad Duari, Director of MP Birla Planetarium, Kolkata confirmed to The Hindu, the supermoon can be viewed through the naked eye from any part of the country.

Astronomer Praveen Suryavanshi however told Express UK that the spectacle will be best viewed from a high vantage point or somewhere away from the pollution and the city lights.

So don’t forget to turn an eye (or two!) towards the sky this Wednesday, because you’re going to be in for a one-of-a-kind celestial treat!