Video: Partial lunar eclipse shined in Dubai on Monday

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Video: Partial lunar eclipse shined in Dubai on Monday
The partial lunar eclipse over Dubai tonight at its peak.

Dubai - Gazing at the stars

By Crystal Skinner

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Published: Tue 8 Aug 2017, 10:09 PM

A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, and the moon enters the earth's shadow, yet they are not precisely aligned.
When that happens, a small part of the Moon's surface is covered by the darkest, central part of the Earth's shadow, called the umbra. The rest of the Moon is covered by the outer part of the Earth's shadow called the penumbra.
For a partial lunar eclipse to occur, 2 celestial events must happen at the same time:
- The Moon should be a full Moon.
- The Sun, Earth and Moon must be aligned in almost a straight line.
Khaleej Times headed over to Al Thuraya Astronomy Centre in Mushrif Park last night to get a special sighting with some astronomy fans and buzzing public members big and small.
Hasan Al Hariri CEO of Dubai Astronomy Centre stated that the moon would be entering the earths shadow at 21.22 and exiting at 23.18. Peak time at 22.20. Unlike a Solar Eclipse that takes only minutes, a Lunar Eclipse takes hours. This is because of the size of the Earth.

In a year we experience approx 2 Lunar eclipses. The next lunar eclipse can be sighted on the 27th and 28th July 2018 around midnight and can be seen in Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe. However this will be a Total Lunar Eclipse where the moon, sun and earth will be perfectly aligned.
Some fear danger around an eclipse yet Al Hariri set anxieties straight emphasising "There is no danger in a Lunar Eclipse, you dont need to shut your doors or windows. A Solar Eclipse can be extremely bright so its best not to look directly at it as yes, this can be dangerous for the eyes"
Looking through a series of different size telescopes the moon seemed extremely bright before the eclipse began, yet on asking apparently this was due to factors such as a clear night sky and the moon is always at its brightest during a full moon.

As the partial lunar eclipse gradually took force the moon became smaller and the shadow forming gave an eerie sense of doomsday...
I awaited the zombies to take over the centre yet surprisingly none knocked at the door for chai.
Astrology states that an Eclipse gives us a chance to bring us back to where we belong. Even though we may resist. It is seen a a cosmic kick to get us in action and on the right path. Eclipse is symbolic of change. It is also a good time to forgive and move on to the new. But most astrologers advise to wait a week before taking any new action after the eclipse has occured. Certain horoscopes in this Partial Lunar Eclipse will find it easier than others dependant on which star sign you fall under and which month the partial lunar eclipse or any eclipse for that matter will form.
As nice little highlight was seeing the projection of the moon on the astronomy centre as you enter... it really gave the experience a close encounter.
A wonderful enlightening event overall and really how can you go wrong with a freebie thats based around the mysterious forces of nature that fascinate us even millions of miles away.
Al Thuraya's next event is at the weekend, when the team will take you into the desert to see a perseid meteor shower which is a rare sighting.


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