FACTS OF LUNAR ECLIPSE AND MOON

🌝FACTS OF LUNAR ECLIPSE AND MOON🌚

Lunar Eclipse is an astronomical occurrence.  Basically, a Solar Eclipse is connected to Sun and a Lunar Eclipse is connected to Moon. A Lunar Eclipse happens when Sun, Earth and Moon come in a straight line and earth’s shadow covers the Moon. It is a natural phenomenon that happens only on Full Moon Day (Purnima in Hindi). At this time, the Sun and Moon remain in the opposite direction of the earth. Generally, 3 to 4 Lunar Eclipses happen in a calendar year. 

The Lunar Eclipse lasts longer than Solar Eclipse. 

Full Eclipse is a natural phenomenon that happens when all three celestial objects (Sun, Earth & Moon) come in a straight line. This state of all three celestial bodies is known as Syzygy.

The Lunar Eclipses can be viewed from anywhere on the earth.

LUNAR ECLIPSES ARE OF THREE TYPES:

PENUMBRAL:

It occurs when the earth's outer shadow covers the Moon. It is harder to see this Eclipse, as there is little change in illumination on Moon’s surface.

PARTIAL ECLIPSE:

It occurs; when Earth shadow covers only some portion of Moon while other parts of Moon bright usually. In this stage, Earth’s Penumbra shadow covers Moon partially.

TOTAL ECLIPSE:

It happens, when earth completely covers the Moon i.e. when the moon comes under the umbra shadow of Earth. Umbra shadow of the earth is a conical shaped dark side. 

Total Lunar Eclipse happens after the duration of 2.3 years and can coincide with Super Moon & Blue Moon. 

WHAT IS BLOOD MOON? 

When Moon enters the Earth’s umbra shadow on Full Moon Day, Total Lunar Eclipse happens. As the source of light totally stopped, the moon’s surface illuminated with bright red light refracted from Earth’s atmosphere and gives it a coppery red colour. 

This total Lunar Eclipse is also known as Wolf Eclipse.

EVERY FULL MOON IS NOT A LUNAR ECLIPSE

There is no Eclipse happens on every Full Moon because of the elliptical orbit of Moon. Moon's orbit is inclined approx. five-degree to earth’s orbit. Due to this, all three celestial body do not occur in a straight line. The eclipse happens when the Moon comes under the shadow of the earth at specific times only.

HOW TO SEE LUNAR ECLIPSE?

Unlike Solar Eclipse, Lunar Eclipse is safe to view from naked eyes. There is no need for protection to view this event.

WHAT IS SUPER MOON? 

It is a state of Moon when it comes quite near (Perigee) to Earth. As you know Moon rotates around Earth in an elliptical path. Due to this elliptical path, sometimes Moon comes near to the earth and sometimes far away (Apogee) from it. In this course of movement when Moon is nearest to Earth it appears quite big on Full Moon day. In this stage, Moon looks 14% bigger and 30% brighter than usual. 

Apogee:  When Moon is farthest from Earth during orbiting around Earth.

Perigee: When Moon is near to Earth during orbiting around Earth.

WHAT IS BLUE MOON? 

An event when two Full Moons appear in a month. The first one is Full Moon and the second one is called Blue Moon. The blue colour has no connection with this event but due to rarest of the rare event of appearing of two Full Moons in a Month, it is coined, Blue Moon.

The moon travels on its axis and completes one cycle around the earth in 29.54 days. Due to this cycle sometimes two full moons appears in a month. It happens almost after 2 and a half years.

WHY DO WE ALWAYS SEE THE SAME SIDE OF MOON?

As you know Moon is the only natural satellite of Earth. Moon is rotating on its axis and around the Earth at same pace continuously. Due to this only one face of the Moon is always visible from earth. The gravitational force of both the celestial body locks each other in a manner that only one side of the Moon is always visible on earth. This phenomenon is called Tidal Locking.

WHY MOON IS IMPORTANT TO EARTH?

• Moon makes this planet livable by controlling the movement of the earth on its axis.
• The gravitational force of Moon causes High & Low tides on Earth.
• Moon causes 24 hrs in a day on Earth.
• Moon causes various types of seasons on Earth.  

PHASES OF MOON

The Moon completes its cycle in a month (29.54 days). There are eight phases of the Moon. The phase of the Moon means the appearance of the Moon in different shapes from the surface of the earth during Orbiting around Earth.

THE EIGHT PHASES OF MOON ARE AS FOLLOWS:

New Moon	à	Moon Not Visible
Waxing Crescent	à	Curved Shape Moon Visible
First Quarter	à	Half Moon Visible
Waxing Gibbous Visible	à	More than Half but Less than Full Moon
Full Moon	à	Full Moon Visible
Waning Gibbous Visible	à	More than Half but Less than Full Moon
Third Quarter	à	Half Moon Visible
Waning Crescent	à	Curved Shape Moon Visible

MYTHS OF LUNAR ECLIPSES

Lunar Eclipses are a natural happening when Moon comes under the shadow of the earth. But in some civilization, this astronomical happening considers a sign of ensuing danger. Peoples do lots of things to diminish the bad effect of this incident. There are many myths associated with this happening. Some are as follows: 

Ancient Inca people believed that the reason for Lunar Eclipses was an attack of Jaguar on Moon.

Tibetan believes that good deeds or a bad deed during this period gets multiplied.  

According to South African myth, this event happens when Sun & Moon fights with each other. To resolve this feud people come together and settle their old feuds and misunderstanding.

As per Indian Mythology, Lunar Eclipse (Chandra Grahan) brings some bad things & spreads negativity in the environment. During this period many routine works are prohibited like preparing food, eating, cutting & tailoring etc., Special Instructions are there for the pregnant women to protect their yet to born babies in the womb from the wrath of “Grahan”. In Hindu mythology, a bad period called “Sutak” starts before actual Lunar Eclipse. One has to complete their all-important work before starting this time period. 

There is a mythology event of Elixir drinking by a demon called Rahu. (See Solar Eclipse)

Eclipses are a natural phenomenon that happens due to the movement of the celestial body in the Universe.

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