The day was July 16 in the year of 2000. On that day,people of some parts of the world
witnessed the longest recorded lunar eclipse. This incident was visible in eastern Asia, Australia,
and some other parts of the Pacific Ocean. Perhaps, you are already familiar with the new term,
‘Blood Moon’. In recent days it is bandied about in the media which is related to the total lunar
eclipse. During a lunar eclipse, the full moon seems to be reddish-brown. The reason behind it
is that the sunbeam bends through the atmosphere of the Earth and reflects off the Moon. So,
a clearer atmosphere means a brighter lunar eclipse.
As the occurrence of lunar eclipse is quite a common thing on the Earth, here we will discuss
some amazing and important facts of such astronomical event which will widen your
knowledge.
1. Position of the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun
Are you familiar with the term ‘syzygy’? Sometimes three celestial bodies come in a straight line
and particularly this situation is known as ‘syzygy’ in astronomy. When the Sun, the Earth, and
the Moon are precisely aligned and the Earth is situated in the middle of them, a lunar eclipse
happens.
- Duration of lunar eclipse
The duration of a lunar eclipse differs completely depending on the shadow of the Earth. Still, a
lunar eclipse cannot occur longer than 3 hours and 40 minutes according to the scientists.
Sometimes a lunar eclipse can also happen for 25 minutes only. This depends on the position of
the Earth between the Sun and the Moon. - Need any precautions?
From the very ancient age, people are forbidden to watch any kind of eclipse with naked eyes.
But lunar is quite safe to watch with the naked eye because it is not as bright as the full moon.
On the contrary, we should take precautions while viewing a solar eclipse.
And another surprising fact is that a solar eclipse is only visible from some specific locations.
But a lunar eclipse can be seen from any location at night. - Hundreds of hot spots!
It is reported that hundreds of hot spots appear on the surface of the Moon. The infrared
photos of the eclipsed moon reveal this fact. Those spots are described to be hotter than the
surrounding areas. After lots of research and studies for several years, still, the exact reason
behind this is not clear. - What is selenelion?
Selenelion is a phenomenon which takes place when the Sun and the eclipsed Moon can be
observed at the same time in the sky above the horizon. This amazing incident can be only seen
just before the sunset or after it.
It is funny that in the ancient time, people used to think that lunar eclipse was a bad sign. They
have the thought that during this time God became angry and some giants ate the Moon.
Standing in this century we all know very well that those are superstitions.
Moreover, the scientists of NASA are always trying to explain all these unknown facts about
every astonishing thing throughout the years.