Bangladesh to witness total lunar eclipse Tuesday

A total lunar eclipse visible from all over the country will occur on Tuesday, said Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).

The eclipse will start at Bangladesh Standard Time (BST) 5:12 pm (17:12) and will end at 7:57 pm (19:57) on Tuesday.

The moon will be eclipsed by the earth’s shadow for 02 hours and 44 minutes and the highest magnitude of the eclipse will be 1.363.

This eclipse will be visible after the moonrise from all the divisional cities, including the capital if the sky remains clear.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the earth comes between the sun and the moon and covers the moon with its shadow. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are exactly or very closely aligned on the night of a full moon.

The type and length of a lunar eclipse depend on the Moon’s proximity to the lunar node. The reddish colour of a fully eclipsed Moon is caused by Earth completely blocking direct sunlight.

Unlike a solar eclipse, which can only be viewed from a relatively small area of the world, a lunar eclipse may be viewed from anywhere on the night side of Earth. Also unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are safe to view without any eye protection or special precautions.