Sorry India! You would not be able to witness Supermoon meeting total lunar eclipse today

The year’s first lunar eclipse will occur today and no it will not be visible anywhere in India or for that matter in other parts of Asia and Australia. Today the Super Blood Wolf Moon will meet the lunar eclipse. This is the 18th total lunar eclipse since 2001, the beginning of this century. While there are two to five supermoons every year, the gap between blood moons is anywhere between six months and three years.

What is the super blood wolf moon?

An eclipse occurs when the moon travels through Earth’s shadow, and the sun, moon and Earth line up perfectly. The super blood wolf moon is a lunar eclipse that will last 62 minutes in totality. The term ‘Super Wolf Blood Moon’ refers to Total Lunar Eclipse during which the takes on a reddish glow from refracted light as the heavenly bodies move into position - hence the name "blood moon". The more particulate or pollution in the atmosphere, the redder the moon appears. It can also appear black, grey, or brown. According to NASA, the colour depends on the amount of dust and clouds in the atmosphere.

A wolf moon is a term given to the January full moon each year. The name was traditionally used by Native Americans, according to the Independent. The Old Farmer’s Almanac said: “In Native American and early Colonial times, the full moon for January was called the Full Wolf Moon. It appeared when wolves howled in hunger outside the villages.”

Where will it be visible?

The eclipse will be visible in North and South America and parts of Western Europe. However, the Super Wolf Blood Moon or the total Lunar Eclipse 2019 will not be visible from any place in India, other parts of Asia, except a few, and Australia. Some parts of Europe and Africa will also be a witness to this event. 

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Timings:

The partial eclipse will begin at 9.04 am IST on Monday, with the full eclipse starting a little over an hour later. In North America, the eclipse began at 9.36pm ET on January 20 but will be visible only at 11.41 pm ET and will end at 12.43 am ET on January 21. It will be the first total lunar eclipse visible entirely in the US since 2010. The entire event, which includes total as well as partial lunar eclipse will reportedly last for three and a half hours.

Appearance:

In the first phase, there will be no real difference in the moon. In the second phase, a partial eclipse will appear. About 90 minutes later, it will reach totality. The moon will give a reddish glow. The process then goes in reverse.

How to watch?

The Blood Moon does not require any eye gear to watch from anywhere if skies are clear enough, unlike solar eclipses that require special eye protection.

When next?

As for the full-moon supermoon, the one visible this weekend will be the first of three this year. The Moon will be about 357,300 km away from Earth. The next supermoon, on February 19, will be a bit closer and the one in March will be the farthest of the three.