Total Lunar Eclipse 2018

Super blood moon 2018

What is lunar eclipse?

       Lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes into the earth's dark shadow region called umbra. At the time of eclipse the Sun, Earth and Moon are aligned in a pattern called Syzygy. ( The light from the Sun falls on Earth and the shadow of earth falls on the Moon. Lunar eclipse was first noted on 29 February 1504 by Christopher Colombus.

How total lunar eclipse occurs?

How long the lunar eclipse occurs?

     The duration of the lunar eclipse depends on the orbital location of moon and the earth. The longest distance from the earth and the moon is apogee and the shortest distance is called perigee. The longest total lunar eclipse occurs every 11 years and that was early noted on 21 December 2010 that lasted for about three hours and twenty eight minutes.

Why the lunar eclipse is red coloured and bloody?

     During the lunar eclipse, the light from the sun is completely blocked by the earth. Whatever the light get refracted from the earth falls on moon. That is red in colour and sometimes blue due to the Rayleigh scattering, the red colour is similar to the colour of sky during the sunset. So, the total lunar eclipse was sometimes called super blood moon.

Timeline of Lunar eclipse:

• 29 February 1504
• 08 August 1998
• 31 January 1999
• 28 July 1999
• 21 January 2000
• 16 July 2000
• 09 January 2001
• 05 July 2001
• 30 December 2001
• 24 June 2002
• 26 May 2002
• 20 November 2002
• 16 May 2003
• 09 November 2003
• 04 May 2004
• 28 October 2004
• 24 April 2005
• 17 October 2005
• 14 March 2006
• 07 September 2006
• 03 March 2007
• 28 August 2007
• 21 February 2008
• 16 August 2008
• 09 February 2009
• 06 August 2009
• 07 July 2009
• 31 December 2009
• 26 June 2010
• 21 December 2010
• 15 June 2011
• 10 December 2011
• 04 June 2012
• 28 November 2012
• 25 April 2013
• 25 May 2013
• 18 October 2013
• 15 April 2014
• 08 October 2014
• 04 April 2015
• 28 September 2015
• 23 March 2016
• 16 September 2016
• 18 August 2016
• 11 February 2017
• 07 August 2017
• 31 January 2018

Next Expected eclipse:

      Scientists predict that next total lunar eclipse can be seen on 27 July 2018 . Every year we can see 2 lunar eclipse and many as 5. If one knows the exact date and time, so we can focus the sky and moon to see this event. The lunar eclipse is measured in Dajon scale.

Credits:

Image credit : NASA

Text credit : Team Fornax