First ‘Blue Moon’ total eclipse in 150 years to occur this month

A rare total lunar eclipse that involves the second full moon of the month - popularly referred to as a Blue Moon - is set to take place on January 31 for the first time in over 150 years.

This will be the first eclipse of 2018. For some parts of Asia, including India, the eclipse will already be underway as the moon rises.

Central and eastern Asia, Indonesia, New Zealand and most of Australia will get a fine view of the Blue Moon.

Alaska, Hawaii and northwestern Canada will see the eclipse from start to finish. Moonset will intervene for the rest of North and Central America.

The duration of the total phase is 77 minutes, with the moon tracking through the southern part of the Earth's shadow.

After this year, the next time that a Blue Moon passes through Earth's umbra will be on December 31, 2028, and, after that, on January 31, 2037. Both of these eclipses will be total. There was a partial eclipse of a Blue Moon on December 31, 2009, but the last total eclipse of a Blue Moon is dated March 31, 1866.

PTI