The lunar eclipse and safety precautions on observing the lunar eclipse

 

Do you know that The lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun , Earth and the Moon are nearly on one straight line with the Earth in the middle hiding the sunlight from the Moon  ?

 

Do you know that the lunar eclipse occurs in the middle of the lunar month ( the moon phase is full moon )  at a rate of two lunar eclipses per year ? .

 

The lunar eclipse can be easily seen from the surface of Earth , As it lasts for an hour or two hours , in which the surface of the Moon gets colored with red and then returns to its original natural color . When the Earth passes in front of the Sun it forms two types of shadow which are :

 

1. Cone shadow ( umbra ) .

    

2. Semi shadow ( penumbra ) . 

    

   Types of lunar eclipse  

   
   

   1. The Total lunar eclipse which occurs when the Sun , the Earth and the moon all lie on a straight line with the Earth in the middle . and it occurs when the whole moon enters the shadow area  ( umbra ) of the Earth .

      

       In total lunar eclipse ,  the Moon appears with red colour .

       

      

      In total lunar eclipse , although the sunlight is blocked from reaching the Moon , there are some rays ( red rays ) are not absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere these red rays are refracted ( by the Earth's atmosphere ) reaching the Moon to appear with red color .

   2. Partial lunar eclipse which is a type of lunar eclipses which occurs when a part of the Moon enters umbra region of the Earth .

      

      In Partial lunar eclipse , We can see a part of the moon enters the umbra region .

       

   3. Semi - shaded ( Penumbra ) lunar eclipse which occurs when the moon enters the semi - shaded area only ( penumbra ) of the Earth in which the Moon light turns to be faint without being darkened .

      

      There is no annular lunar eclipse , Because the Earth has a great size relative to that of the moon . So , it always blocks all sunlight when it comes between the sun and the moon .

       

   You can watch the Lunar eclipses , They are completely safe to watch , You do not need any kind of protective filters . It isn't even necessary to use a telescope .

    

   It does not require precautions , warnings and special devices to observe it because it does not cause any harm to eye .

   

   The lunar eclipse started with semi - shaded lunar eclipse ( in penumbra region ) then changed into partial lunar eclipse (a part of moon enters the umbra region ) then changed into total lunar eclipse ( the whole moon enters the umbra region ) then it changed into partial lunar eclipse again and finally changed to semi - shaded lunar eclipse .