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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 24,2020

Kochi/Mumbai, Jan 24: Two students who recently returned from China have been kept under medical observation at the Ernakulam Government Medical College here for possible exposure to the coronavirus, an outbreak of which in China has triggered a global health scare.

Reports from Mumbai said two persons there too have been put observation at the civic-run Kasturba Hospital in Chinchpokali, PTI reported.

Health officials said no cases of the deadly infection have been detected.

One of the students being screened in Kerala and both being screen in Mumai have reported symptoms such as cold and fever and has been kept in isolation wards.

The additional district medical officer of Ernakulam, Dr S Sreedevi, said samples of the student’s body fluids would be sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for tests.

The youngster consulted a doctor at a private hospital and was referred to the Ernakulam hospital in the wake of the virus outbreak in Wuhan city of China.

A stringent screening system has been set up at the Kochi International Airport to screen passengers who have been in the affected province in China. Persons who have been to Wuhan and showing symptoms of cold, cough and fever are being immediately shifted to the Ernakulam hospital.

All quariantine facilities have been put in place there including an isolation ward and a ventilator.

The other person under observation in Kerala is an MBBS student from Kottayam district who recently returned from his college in China. The district medical office said she has no health issues. She was put under observation as a precautionary measure.

In Mumbai, 1,789 passengers have undergone thermal screening at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for the coronavirus since January 19.

Coronavirus cases were first reported from Wuhan, the capital of central Chinas Hubei province in China.

In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in China, doctors at international airports have been asked to screen travellers for symptoms if they are returning from China. All private doctors have been asked to alert the authorities if they observe symptoms of the coronavirus.

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News Network
March 23,2020

Thrissur, Mar 23: Kerala police on Monday has booked a Catholic priest for violating the Covid-19 advisory against conducting Holy Mass in which more than 100 people attended.

Fr. Pauly Padayatti, vicar of Nithya Sahaya Matha (Mother of Perpetual Help) church at Koodapuzha near Chalakudy in Thrissur district has been arrested by the police.

Despite the strict restrictions of the health department and the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) to temporality suspend church services involving laity in churches, the vicar conducted the Holy Mass on Monday.

The police have also registered case against the devotees for violating the guidelines by attending the service.

The top church leadership including Cardinal Mar George Alencherry repeatedly urged the laity not to go to churches for Holy Mass or other services.

The faithful have been asked to participate in the online streaming of Holy Mass by bishops and priests and pray from their homes.

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Agencies
August 7,2020

Kottayam, Aug 7: A trial court in Kottayam on Friday granted bail to Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a nun in Kerala, with stringent conditions and directed him to be present on the dates of hearing of the case.

The Additional Sessions Court had cancelled the bail granted to the Bishop on July 13 for failing to appear for the trial and issued a Non Bailable Warrant against him.

Mulakkal was present in the Court on Friday when it considered the matter.

Granting bail, the court directed him not to leave the state till the chargesheet is read out to him on August 13 and to be present in court on the dates of hearing of the case.

The Court also directed him to offer fresh sureties and bail bonds.

On July 13, Mulakkal’s counsel had informed the court that his client could not appear as he had been in self quarantine due to his primary contact with a COVID-19 infected person.

The next day, the former Jalandhar Bishop had tested positive for coronavirus.

The prosecution informed the Court that Mulakkal had not produced the COVID negative certificate, to which the Court observed that the state Health Department can take necessary action on this issue.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday had directed Mulakkal to face trial as it dismissed his plea seeking discharge in the rape case lodged against him by the nun belonging to a congregation under Jalandhar diocese, saying there was no merit in his petition.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde, A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian had told the counsel for Bishop that the court is not saying anything on merit, but is dismissing the plea on the issue of discharge from the case.

Mulakkal, in his plea had challenged the July 7 Kerala High Court order, dismissing his discharge plea in the rape case filed by the nun.

The High Court had asked the deposed Bishop of Jalandhar diocese to stand for trial in the rape case, which was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by the nun.

The senior priest of the Roman Catholic Church had filed the revision petition following the dismissal of his discharge plea by a trial court in March this year.

The rape case against the Bishop was registered by police in Kottayam district.

In her complaint to the police in June, 2018, the nun had alleged that she was subjected to sexual abuse by the bishop during the period between 2014 and 2016.

The bishop, who was arrested by the Special Investigation team, which probed the case, charged him with wrongful confinement, rape, unnatural sex and criminal intimidation.

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