Longest partial lunar eclipse in 580 years takes place today

• The eclipse begins at 11.32 a.m. and ends up at 5.33 p.m. Sri Lanka standard time with a total duration of six hours and one minute
• There will be two eclipses visible to Sri Lanka in 2022 a partial solar  eclipse on October 25th followed by a partial lunar eclipse on November  8th

By Yohan Perera

The longest partial lunar eclipse in 580 years will take place during the day time today, Director of Astronomy and Space Science Unit, Department of Physics, Colombo University Chandana Jayaratne said yesterday.  

People in many parts of the world will have the opportunity to see the three brightest planets of  the solar system- Jupiter, Saturn and Venus in a line in the Western  skies just after the sunset during these days,
 “Though the eclipse is visible to a large part of the world for the countries in America, North Europe, East Asia, Australia, Pacific, including the Eastern part of India, it will not be visible in Sri Lanka. The total duration of the partial eclipse phase is three hours and 28 minutes. The eclipse begins at 11.32 a.m. and ends up at 5.33 p.m. Sri Lanka standard time with total duration six hours and one minute. The reason for the long duration is that the eclipse is happening when the Moon is at the apogee – the furthest point Moon gets from Earth in its elliptical orbit, and therefore the slowest speed of the Moon.” Professor Jayaratne said.   

 Usually, there are two eclipses in a row with a two week gap. Accordingly, 14 days later, on December 4th there will be a total solar eclipse too, commencing from 10.59 a.m. and ending at 3.07 p.m. This eclipse too will not be visible to Sri Lanka and will be visible only to Antarctica and countries in parts of Southern Africa, including locations in South Africa and Namibia.  

Visibility of the Eclipses to Sri Lanka these days will be very rare. There are two eclipses in 2022 visible to Sri Lanka: a partial solar eclipse on October 25th followed by a partial lunar eclipse on November 8th, according to Prof. Jayaratne.

-The total duration of the partial eclipse phase is three hours and 28  minutes. The eclipse begins at 11.32 a.m. and ends up at 5.33 p.m. Sri  Lanka standard time with total duration six hours and one minute  
-People will have the opportunity to see the three brightest planets of  the solar system- Jupiter, Saturn and Venus in a line in the Western  skies just after the sunset during these days,

-Though the eclipse is visible to a large part of the world for the  countries in America, North Europe, East Asia, Australia, Pacific,  including the Eastern part of India, it will not be visible in Sri Lanka