A rare lunar event is going to take place on January 31 and elaborate plans are being made in cities for the same. This celestial event occurrence is after 150 years which will see three phases of the moon- a lunar eclipse, supermoon, and a blue moon.

The phenomenon basically means the moon rotating around the Earth will partially come in its shadow. This phase will begin at 4:21 PM, called the penumbral phase. The umbral phase is when the Earth moves further away from the shadow by 6:21 PM. The lunar eclipse will end by 7:37 PM. And the moon will emerge at 8:31 PM.

It is difficult to observe all the details with a naked eye. And special arrangements are being made in Tiruvananthapuram’s Priyadarshini Planetarium in Kerala Science and Technology Museum (KSSTM). They are organizing an event alongside Breakthrough Science Society which will hold an awareness campaign about the event. The museum has arranged for telescopes, so people can enjoy the phenomenon more closely. With the help of these arrangements, you can enjoy the beautiful spectacle closely. Plus, in a planetarium, one will always get some extra facts and knowledge about these astronomical spectacles.

This is the second full month occurring in the calendar month called the supermoon. The moon is closest to the Earth on this day, which is approximately 356 lakh kilometer. Plus, the sun, moon and earth all three will be aligned in a straight line. This is the first eclipse of 2018 and last such similar event had taken place on March 31, 1866.

So science and astronomy enthusiasts can definitely take an advantage if you all happen to be in and around Kerala at the end of this month. It is going to be a delight to enjoy the rare event in the company of like-minded interested ones.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 18, 2018 03:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).