TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE & SUPERMOON

TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE & SUPERMOON

Subject : Geography

Context : Recently, a super-celestial event took place as the first lunar eclipse of 2021 took place. The event was more special as it coincided with a supermoon, a total lunar eclipse and a red blood moon all at once.

Concept :

Supermoon

• NASA notes that a supermoon occurs when the Moon’s orbit is closest to the Earth at the same time that the Moon is full.
• As the Moon orbits the Earth, there is a point of time when the distance between the two is the least (called the perigee) and a point of time when the distance is the most (called the apogee).
• When a full Moon appears at the point when the distance between the Earth and the Moon is the least, not only does it appear to be brighter but it is also larger than a regular full moon.
• According to NASA, the term supermoon was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979.
• In a typical year, there may be two to four full supermoons and two to four new supermoons in a row.

What is a Lunar Eclipse?

• It is a phenomenon which occurs when the Moon and Sun are on opposite sides of the Earth.
• The phenomenon occurs during the full moon.
• A full moon happens when the Moon and the Sun are on opposite sides of the Earth which allows the person to see the entire lit-up side, which looks like a round disc in the night sky.
• The moon will also appear to be red because of the total lunar eclipse.

Why does the moon look red?

• It is because the Earth will block some of the light from the Sun from reaching the moon and as the Earth’s atmosphere filters the light, it will soften “the edge of our planet’s shadow” “giving the Moon a deep, rosy glow”.
• Sunlight has all colors and while passing through the atmosphere of the Earth, the blue light is filtered while the red part passes through it.
• It is because of this the sky looks blue and redness prevails at sunrise and sunset.
• In the case of a lunar eclipse, the red light passes through the earth’s atmosphere and it turns towards the moon while the blue light remains out of it which makes the moon look completely red.