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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

A spectacle in the sky

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Lakshmi Kothaneth -


The Oman Astronomical Society (OAS) located at the Airport heights, began receiving lunar eclipse enthusiasts even before it was 7 pm on the evening of August 7, 2017. The spectacle that evening, a partial lunar eclipse, was scheduled to begin by 7:50pm


Around the OAS headquarters, photographers armed with the best lenses and hobbyists and enthusiasts armed with telescopes all converged in one place patiently waiting. It was an unlikely opportunity for people from different backgrounds met. That evening, they were all fans of the celestial wonder.


Astronomical observer, Ibrahim bin Mohammed al Mahrouqi, a member of the Omani Astronomical Society, shared that the eclipse lasted for an hour and 55 minutes. He said that 22% of the southern end of the moon was submerged in the shadow of the Earth.


The said event wasn’t only visible in the Sultanate. People from the continents of Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia even those in New Zealand can see it from their respective places.


Al Mahrouki explained that, usually, when there is an eclipse of the moon it is followed by an eclipse of the sun before or two weeks later and vice versa.


“So there will be a total eclipse of the sun on August 21, 2017, but it will not be seen in the Sultanate while in North and Central America and the northern parts of South America, it begins at 20:48 on August 21 and ends at 00:03 on August 22, Oman time.


Al Mahrouqi added, “Lunar eclipse is an astronomical phenomenon that occurs when the shadow of the earth obscures the sunlight reflected by the moon. This phenomenon occurs when the Earth, the sun and the Moon are on a single straight line.”


He described the three types of eclipses:


First, the total eclipse, which occurs when the entire moon enters the Earth’s shadow zone. In this case, the full moon disc is lost, leading to a final loss of vision at midnight, especially in desert areas.


Second, the partial eclipse like the one witnessed this week and it occurs when part of the moon enters the area of the Earth’s shadow, in which case a part of the moon’s disc is being eclipsed.


And third, the semi-shade eclipse that takes place when the moon enters a semi-shade area only, in which case the moonlight becomes pale without being eclipsed. At the beginning of the total eclipse, the color of the moon is intriguing and that is because of the red rays that cannot be absorbed.


According to experts, in a Total Lunar Eclipse even when the earth blocks direct light, earth’s atmosphere refracts sunlight and the moon’s surface indirectly lit up.


“The eclipses do not occur every month because the moon’s level of rotation around the sun tends to be approximately five degrees, so the eclipse happens only when the sun passes (because of the rotation of the earth around the sun) at the point of convergence of the two levels or what they call the two nodes,” noted Al Mahrouqi.


The lunar eclipse can also occur three times a year. The eclipse of the sun can occur five times in one year.


“Perhaps the highlight of this astronomical event is the possibility of seeing it without the need for any astronomical equipment such as telescopes or binoculars, where the eclipse is evident in the sky. Lunar eclipse can be viewed with naked eye, unlike the eclipse of the sun which needs special glasses to protect the eye from the damage,” he said.


Visitors to the OAS were also treated to an additional attraction. While the focus is on the moon, two other telescopes were also pointed out towards Saturn and Jupiter respectively — an initiative that fueled excitement among the attendees.


Unfortunately, Jupiter had already set by the time many people came in as they had come in time for 7.50 pm time frame – the time when the lunar eclipse began.


There were families who had come with their children. The imagination was running high when one of the youngsters was looking for another moon. Her father, Bhavin Vala, said, “We have been following up with Oman Astronomical Society for two events and the experience has been excellent.”


Photographers with extensive lens were not the only successful ones because the members of the OAS were helping amateur observers to capture images with their mobile phones placed very close to the telescope lens.


The family of Rahma al Kharousi and Zahr al Farei and their infant Falak were also in attendance and shared their passion for observing the sky.


“I was introduced to this area by my wife who was influenced by her sister who is a member of the Astronomical Society. We love the subject so much that we named our daughter Falak, which means ‘Orbit’ in English Language.”


Another member of OAS, Osama al Busaidy, who was busy the whole day setting up the telescopes for the public said they try to organize events like moon viewing at least once a month.


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