A TOTAL lunar eclipse is set to occur tomorrow, October 8, and will be visible in Brunei between 6.03pm and 9.32pm.
It will be a spectacular astronomical event as the entire moon will pass through the earth’s shadow known as the umbra.
The eclipse will be visible in many areas of the world such as East Europe, much of Asia, Australia, North America, South America, Pacific and Atlantic.
In Brunei, eclipse watchers should be able to see the reddish-brown full moon rising low in the eastern horizon at 6.03 pm. The phenomenon occurs when the earth blocks most of the sunlight to the moon.
The moon is positioned deep in the Earth’s shadow at maximum eclipse at 6.55pm.
Sunlight will gradually reach the Moon’s surface as the Earth’s umbra will no longer cover the Moon at 7.22pm. The Moon will return slowly to its normal brilliance when the Penumbral Eclipse ends at 9.32 pm.
Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipse is completely safe to watch with the naked eye. We should be able to witness this phenomenon from our homes if the weather is clear.
Eclipse watchers are advised to go to a place with a clear view to the eastern horizon and a clear line of sight to the Moon to observe the natural phenomenon.
The next total eclipse visible in the Sultanate will not occur until January 31, 2018. On April 4 next year, Brunei will experience another lunar eclipse but it will be a partial one.
// For press release