First eclipse of 2018 to be a rare one, sky gazers to witness spectacle after 150 years

New Delhi: Sky gazers will surely be up for a treat when they witness the first eclipse of 2018.

The first eclipse, 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.

For the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, the eclipse will already be underway as the Moon rises.

The Pacific Ocean will be turned towards the Moon at the time and the eclipse will take place during the middle of the night.

Central and eastern Asia, Indonesia, New Zealand and most of Australia will get a fine view of this Moon show in the evening sky.

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

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

During totality, the Moon's lower limb will appear much brighter than the dark upper limb, 'Space.Com' reported.

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.

Before 2017, there was an eight per cent partial eclipse on December 31, 2009, but the last total eclipse of a Blue Moon happened all the way back in March 31, 1866. 

(With Agency inputs)