Eyes glued to the sky, Guwahati residents watch this year’s last lunar eclipse

GUWAHATI: Stargazers in the northeast watched the last lunar eclipse of the year for more than two hours – the maximum duration the eclipse was visible here.
The upper Assam town of Dibrugarh and its adjoining areas saw moonrise as early as 4.17 pm, offering the first glimpse of the eclipse. In Guwahati, the moon was first sighted at 4.34 pm and the blood moon depicting the total eclipse was visible from 5 pm to 5.12 pm from the Guwahati planetarium, said curator B C Bora.
The lunar eclipse began at 2.39 pm, said Bora, and the total eclipse phase started at 3.46 pm and ended at 5.12 pm while partial eclipse ended at 6.19 pm.
Over 200 sky enthusiasts, mostly students, viewed the eclipse from the planetarium where special arrangements were made for viewing. “The image of the moon was projected on a screen with the help of the sophisticated Keplerian telescope. It was exciting, especially for children,” said Bora.
In Guwahati, many residents witnessed the spectacular sight from their rooftops. The clear horizon offered glimpses of the early moments of the eclipse. After the total eclipse ended at 5.12 pm, people continued to watch the celestial show till 6.19 pm. “It was a moment of a lifetime for me. Such a beautiful sight is hard to imagine,” said Chayanika Sarkar, a Class X student.
At the Regional Science Centre, Guwahati, special arrangements were made for viewing. “There was immense enthusiasm because the sky was clear. Many tourists also arrived at our centre to view the blood moon. We took the opportunity to spread awareness about superstitions linked to lunar eclipse,” said Ramendra Medhi, senior education officer at the centre.
The next lunar eclipse to be visible from India will be on October 28, 2023, which will be partial. The last visible lunar eclipse from India was on November 19, 2021, which was also partial.