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IANS
New Delhi
The much awaited"Supermoon"became visible in India a little later than expected on Wednesday but when it did, millions of stargazers across the country relished the rare celestial triple delight with a sense of awe.
The January 31 sighting of a"Blue Moon"and a total lunar eclipse occurred in India for the first time after 1982. While the Moon was in the Earth's shadow, it took on a reddish tint known as a"blood Moon".
During the eclipse, the Moon was just a day past perigee which is the closest point to Earth in its orbit -- making it appear very large and bright (about 14 per cent) and so a"Supermoon". Lastly, it is also the second full moon of the month, commonly known as a"blue moon". The last full Moon of the month was on January 2. Many organisations across the country stepped in to enhance the show which was also visible to the naked eye.
At India Gate, SPACE India used the Dobsonian telescope which gave a very clear and crisp view of the"Supermoon".
The instrument allowed skywatchers to view the Moon 20 times bigger than it appears to the naked eye."Apart from Delhi, Space India organised the event in five other cities Chennai, Bengaluru, Surat, Dehradun and Meerut - and also at DAV school in Gurgaon.
Over 500 people gathered at India Gate to watch this phenomenon,"Dr. Mila Mitra, Scientific Officer, Head, Research and Publications, said. Yashwe, a 7th class student from St. Thomas School at Mandir Marg, said:
"It's a rare opportunity and being a member of an astronomy club, I feel delighted after watching the eclipse live."
