Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
broken clouds
weather
OMAN
23°C / 23°C
EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Get ready to see longest ever lunar eclipse today

1403850
1403850
minus
plus

Muscat: A number of countries including the Sultanate will witness a total lunar eclipse on Friday. It is expected to be the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century compared to the last lunar eclipse which lasted 1 hour and 16 minutes as the colour of the moon turns red, while the partial phase will continue for more than 6 hours, making it the longest eclipse of the century. The total lunar eclipse, popularly known as “blood moon,” occurs when the Earth comes between the sun and the moon, blocking the sunlight from reaching the moon directly. According to the UK’s Royal Observatory, “the moon usually turns a deep, dark red because it is illuminated by light that has passed through the Earth’s atmosphere and has been bent back towards the moon by refraction.”


Mars, known as the Red Planet, will be larger than usual when viewed by the telescope for a few weeks, before fading in mid-August when it moves away from Earth. The Oman Astronomical Society has listed sites to watch the eclipse; its headquarters at the Airport Heights in Muscat, Kaab bin Zaid al Falaki club in Al Mawaleh in Seeb, observatories in Samad Al Shan, Sinaw Cultural Centre in Al Mudhaibi, Manah Cultural Center in Manah, the observatory in Al Rustaq Public Park and the observatory in Suhar Public Park in Suhar. — ONA


SHARE ARTICLE
arrow up
home icon