After 152 years, mankind witnesses Super Blue Blood Moon

Agencies
January 31, 2018

A rare spectacle in the sky is appearing after 152 years on January 31. The Super Blue Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse, a rare coincidence of three different phases of the moon will be visible in most parts of Asia, North America and Australia.

What is a Lunar Eclipse?

A lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, the moon and the earth align, with the moon appearing in the shadow of the earth. Every year, at least two lunar eclipses occur. But they aren't visible in all parts of the world at the same time.

All lunar eclipses fall during the full moon (every month, we have a full moon), but not all full moons are eclipses. Eclipses occur due to a 5-degree tilt in the orbit of the moon around the earth with respect to the orbit of the earth around the sun. 

Who cares about something that recurs every month? 

So the lining up of these three celestial bodies happens when the moon reaches any of the two nodes in the space. If it is a full moon day, it will be a lunar eclipse and if it is a dark moon, it will be a solar eclipse. 

Blue moon

A blue moon is nothing but the second full moon in the same calendar month.

Supermoon

The orbit of the moon is not a perfect round. It is ellipse-shaped and earth is in one of its' centres. Therefore the distance between earth and moon keeps changing. The closest distance is called perigee and longest is called apogee. Therefore we feel the moon is 14% bigger and 30 brighter during a full moon at perigee (moon’s shape never changes, it is just relative feeling for us) which we call a supermoon. 

The blood moon/red moon or copper moon

On 31st January, some rays from the sun will surpass earth’s atmosphere and reach the moon which would eventually be reflected back to the earth. The violet, blue and green rays in the sunlight which has lesser wavelength cannot complete this long journey. But the red and orange will successfully reach our eyes and we feel the moon has become reddish/’orangish’. 

When is it visible?

Though scientifically, the eclipse starts at 4.21 pm, we will not be able to see any difference in the moon. It enters the dark shadow of the earth (the penumbra) by 6.21 pm and the total eclipse begins which will be visible to us. It means the eclipse would be underway when the moon rises. The maximum eclipse is at 7.00 pm and the total eclipse will continue until 7.37 pm. The partial eclipse will be over by 9.38 pm.

What equipment is needed to watch it?

This is not a solar eclipse and hence we need no equipment to watch it. Get out of your home/office to a high-rise building or an open space at 6.30 pm and make yourself comfortable for the next one hour.

There is nothing harmful- no rays, no extra-terrestrial activities or reactions during this eclipse. Anyone can look at the moon with naked eyes. It is a great idea to get a binocular or telescope to view it closely. 

Don't pay any heed to people spreading fake messages about ‘harmful reactions’ of getting out of your home during the eclipse. If you don’t watch, you’ll miss it. Nothing else. 

In a move to popularise the event and spread scientific temper, the Government of Karnataka has asked the schools to encourage students to watch the eclipse.

Bengaluru celebrates

The Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium will host a public event where telescopes will be set up to give the public a closer view of the event.

Breakthrough Science Society Karnataka has planned for public viewing events across Karnataka. They have arranged for telescopes with assistance from their volunteers.

Here is a list of the places where you can catch it.

1) Government Model Primary School, Attiguppe Bus Stand, Bengaluru
2) Government Model School, 9th Main, Hosahalli, Vijayanagar, Bengaluru
3) Donkana Field, Shankarnag Circle, Hanumantha Nagar, Bengaluru
4) HMT grounds, RT Nagar, Bengaluru
5) New Oxford Public School, Rajajinagar, Bhashyam Circle, Bengaluru
6) KEB Quarters, Rajajinagar 3rd Block, Bengaluru
7) JP Park, Mathikere, Bengaluru
8) SBI Officers' Association Public School, SBI Colony, Basaveshwara Nagar, Bengaluru
9) Priyadarshini Vidya Kendra School Grounds, 6th Main, Kengeri Satellite Town, Bengaluru
10) High School Grounds, Davanagere
11) Vidya Nidhi PU College Grounds, Raichur
12) Opposite Central Bus Stand, Vijayapura
13) SBR School Grounds, Kalaburagi
14) Anjuman School, Dharwad
15) Sri Vasavi Vidya Samsthe, Chitradurga
16) Vidya Vilas Vidya Kendra, Chitradurga
17) Vishwamanava Vasathi Shale, Chitradurga
18) Sri. Nijalingappa Vidya Samsthe, Hosadurga
19) Taralabalu Vidya Samsthe, Mysuru
20) Sri Shakti Krupa, 2nd Cross, KEB Road, RV Colony, Tumkur.

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News Network
January 30,2020

Mumbai, Jan 30: The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has arrested Dr Kafeel Khan from Mumbai airport for allegedly making inflammatory statements at AMU during protests against the Citizenship Amendments Act (CAA) last month, officials said.

Khan was arrested on Wednesday night with assistance from Mumbai Police at the airport when he arrived in the city to attend anti-CAA protests, an official said.

"Officials of the UP STF arrested Dr Kafeel Khan in a case which was registered at Civil Lines Police Station under section 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups) of IPC. Our police team helped our UP counterparts on their request," said an official from Mumbai Police.

He claimed that Khan had made inflammatory statements on December 12 last year during the protest near Bab e Syed Gate outside the Aligarh Muslim University in front of more than 600 students.

The official also alleged that the Gorakhpur doctor had made objectionable comments against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The FIR against Khan mentions that Swaraj India's president Yogendra Yadav was also present during the speech at AMU.

Following the arrest in the case, Khan was taken to the Sahar Police Station and after completing formalities he will be taken to UP on transit remand, the official said.

Khan, a paediatrician, had come to the limelight in 2017 when a controversy broke out after the death of over 60 children in less than a week at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur, UP.

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News Network
May 29,2020

Karachi, May 29: Investigators and rescue officials have found around Rs 3 crore in cash in the wreckage of the Pakistan International Airlines' aircraft that crashed wth 99 people on board, killing 97 people, including nine children.

Flight PK-8303 from Lahore to Karachi crashed in a residential area near Karachi International Airport on Friday, with only two passengers miraculously surviving the crash.

Investigators and rescue officials have found currencies of different countries and denominations worth around Rs 30 million from the aircraft's wreckage, an official said on Thursday.

"An investigation has been ordered into how such a huge amount of cash got through airport security and baggage scanners and found its way into the ill-fated flight," the official said.

He said that the amount was recovered from two bags in the wreckage.

"The process of identifying the bodies and their luggage which will be handed over to their families and relatives is going on," he said.

A total of 97 people including the aircraft crew died in the crash, one of the most catastrophic aviation disasters in Pakistan's history.

A government official said on Thursday that the identification of 47 bodies had been completed, while 43 bodies were handed over for burial.

Friday's accident was the first major aircraft crash in Pakistan after December 7, 2016 when a PIA ATR-42 aircraft from Chitral to Islamabad crashed midway. The crash claimed the lives of all 48 passengers and crew, including singer-cum-evangelist Junaid Jamshed.

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News Network
June 17,2020

New Delhi, Jun 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called for an all-party meeting to be held on June 19 to discuss the situation at the border areas with China.

The virtual conference meeting, presided by PM Modi, will be attended by presidents of various political parties in the country.

"In order to discuss the situation in the India-China border areas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for an all-party meeting at 5 PM on 19th June. Presidents of various political parties would take part in this virtual meeting," a tweet by the PMO India read.

At least 20 Indian Army personnel, including a Colonel rank officer, had lost their lives in the violent face-off in the Galwan valley area of Ladakh on June 15.

The violent face-off happened on late evening and the night of June 15 in Ladakh's Galwan Valley as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to "unilaterally change" the status quo during de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh and the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side, India said on June 16.

The Chinese side also suffered casualties, including the death of the commanding officer of the Chinese Unit involved in the violent face-off with Indian troops, sources confirmed to news agency.

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