A partial eclipse of  the Moon will be visible from all over India on the 7th of September 2006. A very small fraction of the Moon will actually fall under the shadow of the Earth - a mere 0.19 percent of the diameter of the Moon is hidden in this shadow.

Nehru Planetarium, New Delhi, in collaboration with Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators (S.P.A.C.E.) and the Amateur Astronomers Association, Delhi, will be conducting a public skywatch at the Nehru Planetarium, to view the eclipse.

 

Eclipse Skywatch Programme

        

Programme of Public sky watch being organized by Nehru Planetarium, Science Popularization Association of Communicators and Educators (S.P.A.C.E. an NGO) and Amateur Astronomers Association, Delhi on the night of September 7th 2006.

 

 

Time	Program
6:00 PM	Planetarium sky show on Eclipses. (Ticket Rs. 15/-per head)
7:00 PM	Public Sky Watch (Highlight – Jupiter and its moons)
8:30 PM	Multimedia Presentation on Eclipses and Lunar Features.
10:00 PM	Planetarium Sky show on Eclipses.
11:00 PM	Lunar Eclipse Observations and skywatch.

   

 

The interesting aspect of the present eclipse is that, it is a tiny fraction (about 19 percent) of the Moon that will be falling within the shadow of the Earth, but, the passage of this shadow is very slow. Therefore the partial eclipse lasts for a long duration of about 1 hour 22 minutes.

 

However, viewers have to be prepared for the fact that, there will just be a small area on the Moon that will appear to turn sooty as the shadow of the Earth falls on it, and there might just be the slightest hint of the reddish glow that is usually seen, after a Lunar eclipse has progressed a little. This reddish glow comes from sunlight scattered from the Earth’s atmosphere and then falling on the Moon – this scattering makes the red part of Sunlight bend sufficiently that it falls on the Moon.

 

The interesting thing about Lunar eclipses in general, is that, all locations on Earth, from where the eclipse is visible, will see the start and end of the eclipse at about the same time. This is unlike Solar eclipses or transits where different locations on the Earth see the event at slightly different times. The partial eclipse begins at 11:35 PM (IST), the greatest eclipse will happen at 21 minutes past midnight and the eclipse ends at 1:07 PM (IST) on September 8^th.

 

There will be arrangements for the public to appreciate various aspects of lunar and solar eclipses, help given to visitors to locate different formations on the Moon and compare the predicted eclipse with what they will be viewing through the telescopes. Volunteers from S.P.A.C.E. and the Amateur Astronomers Association, Delhi, will be interacting with the visitors and help them view not just the eclipse, but, identify Lunar features and also view an occultation of a faint star while the eclipse is in progress.

 

The skywatch will start at sunset, with activities for the visitors to enjoy, until the eclipse starts. Jupiter viewing through telescopes, will start at sunset.

 

It is to be emphasized that eclipses on positions of planets do not effect our lives in any way and there is no compelling evidence theoretical or observational that would make us believe in astrological predictions that are made associated with every astronomical event.

 

 Written by Dr. N. Rathnasree, Nehru Planetarium, New Delhi