Article Posted on : - Jun 05, 2011

MUMBAI (PTI): With the sun, earth and moon falling in a straight line on the night of June 15, a celestial drama, showing the darkest lunar eclipse in the 21st century, will occur, an official spokesperson said here Saturday.

The moon will pass through the shadow, cast by the earth, producing a beautiful spectacle in the sky. As the moon slips into the earth's umbra (dark shadow), it will slowly turn coppery red, Programme Coordinator (Scientific) at the Nehru Planetarium Suhas B Naik-Satam said.

This will be the darkest lunar eclipse visible over the skies of India in the 21st Century, after the last darkest lunar eclipse 40 years back on August 6, 1971, he said.

The lunar eclipse will be visible throughout India and it will start at 23:53 pm and it will end at 03:32 am on June 16, Satam said.

Weather permitting, Nehru Planetarium, Mumbai will make arrangements for viewing the eclipse through telescope, he added.