Partial Lunar Eclipse August 16th-17th 2008
There will be a partial lunar eclipse occuring late in the night of the 16th
August and early morning of the 17th of August. The Lunar eclipse is a partial
one, wherein about 80 % of the Moon will be seen to be eclipsed.
All of India can witness the Lunar eclipse which is also visible from South
America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
The interesting aspect to do with Lunar eclipses is that, the actual event and
its different phases, will be witnessed at the same time all over the world.
Longitudinal differences would define that time to be different in different
regions. For instance, while South America would be witnessing the eclipse at
Moonrise on the evening of the 16th of August, Australia would be witnessing it
at Moonset in the morning of the 17th of August, although, the two regions and
the rest of the world, are witnessing it at the same intrinsic time.
The penumbral part of the Lunar eclipse will begin at about 5 minutes past
midnight of the 16th of August. The penumbral phase, however, is not easily
discernable. A casual view would not detect any noticeable change on the Moon,
when the penumbral phase of the eclipse is in progress.
The partial phase of the eclipse will begin at 1:06:07 AM in the morning of the
17th of August. The greatest eclipse will be at 2:40:09 AM when about 80% of the
Moon will be seen to be eclipsed.
The partial phase of the eclipse ends at 4:14:16 AM, and the penumbral phase
ends at 5:25:25 AM in the morning of the 17th of August.
Staff members of the planetarium and the amateur astronomers of Delhi, will be
observing the eclipse and attempting to measure the brightness changes on the
Moon, through images taken from before and after the eclipse, and throughout the
penumbral and the partial phases of the eclipse.