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08 August 2017, 09:35

Lunar Eclipse in Minsk

On Monday, 7 August, the astronomers of Belarus, and also the majority of the regions of Eurasia, Africa and Australia gathered in groups to see the partial lunar eclipse. This phenomenon can take place two to four times a year. The partial lunar eclipse on 7 August lasted from 20.23 (Minsk time) to 22.18.

The eclipse looks like a partial reddening of the moon, said head of the Minsk Planetarium Alexander Mikulich. Astronomers from around the world measure the temperature of the darker part of the moon to learn about the temperature of the earth satellite, as well as about it other physical characteristics.

According to the expert, it is not necessary to have special equipment to see the eclipse. The moon can be seen with the naked eye, and also through any telescope, binocular glasses, and a long-focus lens of a camera.

“There is a great variety of telescopes, binoculars and monocles. To choose the right equipment, one should decide on its purpose. The best way to choose the right equipment is to come to the Minsk Planetarium, to the Club of Astronomy Enthusiasts, which membership exceeds 40 people,” Alexander Mikulich said.

The astronomer added that the telescope is a high-technology instrument. Only when precisely tuned-up, it can show the beauty of a starry sky in full.

On 7 August, for instance, the preparations to see the blood red moon took about 30 minutes. However, even the most precise equipment can do nothing in bad weather. Extended cloudiness hampered to see the lunar eclipse this time. “Such things happen. The number of clear days in our area makes up 50-60 per year, which considerably reduces the possibility to see interesting space phenomena. For example, Chile has a clear sky almost throughout the year,” the expert explained.

Only the reflections of the blood red moon were seen in Minsk this time. The next lunar eclipse will take place on 31 January 2018.

Alexander Zhibul,

Photo by Leonid Shcheglov and Egor Pavlyushchik

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