International Astronomical Centre To Live Stream Total Lunar Eclipse On Sunday Evening

The International Astronomical Centre plans to stream a total lunar eclipse live from the Al-Khattm Astronomical Observatory. This broadcast will last four hours, starting on Sunday at 7:30 pm and ending at 11:50 pm. Engineer Mohammed Shawkat Odah, the centre's director, mentioned that this celestial event will be visible in different degrees across the Arab world.

Odah explained that as the eclipse progresses, the Moon will rise in various parts of the region. In the eastern areas, it will appear before the eclipse starts. Meanwhile, in central regions, it will be visible during the early phases, and in western areas, it will rise during the later stages of the event.

The lunar eclipse will go through several stages. It begins with the Moon entering Earth's penumbra shadow at 7:28 pm. The partial eclipse starts at 8:27 pm, leading to a total eclipse beginning at 9:31 pm. The peak of this total eclipse occurs at 10:12 pm and concludes by 10:53 pm.

Following this, the partial eclipse ends at 11:57 pm, with the entire event wrapping up by 12:55 am on Monday, UAE time. Odah confirmed that observers can see this spectacle with their naked eyes between 8:15 am and 12:15 am.

During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon does not vanish entirely but often displays bright hues like yellow, orange, or red. This is due to sunlight bending through Earth's atmosphere towards the Moon. The colours seen are influenced by atmospheric purity; more pollution results in darker red or brown shades.

In rare instances, such as during the December 12, 1992 eclipse following Mount Pinatubo's eruption in June 1991, increased atmospheric particles can cause the Moon to disappear completely from view.

This upcoming lunar event offers a unique opportunity for skywatchers across different regions to witness an astronomical phenomenon that highlights both natural beauty and atmospheric conditions.

With inputs from WAM