Partial lunar eclipse to take place on Saturday night
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal along with other parts of India, the whole of Asia, Europe, Africa, and Russia will witness a partial lunar eclipse on Saturday night.
The celestial phenomenon will continue till the early hours of October 29, astrophysicist Debi Prasad Duari said.
People in West Bengal will celebrate Laksmi puja on Saturday night.
"There is going to be a partial lunar eclipse on the night of October 28 which can be experienced by people in India along with the entire Asia, Europe, Africa, and Russia. The eclipse will occur during late night of October 28 and will continue till the early hours of October 29," Duari told PTI.
He said that on October 28, the moon will be partially eclipsed by the shadow of the earth for some time and will give people in India a chance to experience a partial lunar eclipse.
A lunar eclipse is marked by two stages of the moon coming under the shadow of the earth. When it enters a partially shadowed region of the earth it is known as the penumbral eclipse, when the moon remains partly lighted.
"The change in brightness is not very much noticeable. After this phase moon will partially enter the actual dark part of the earth's shadow which is termed an umbral lunar eclipse and is considered the actual eclipse by most people," he added.
On October 28 night though the penumbral eclipse will start at around 11:31 pm Indian Standard Time (IST), but the partial Umbral eclipse, which is more noticeable, will start in the early hours of October 29, at around 1:05 am IST, he said.
"It will become maximum at around 1:44 am and will end by 2:23 am. The magnitude of the partial lunar eclipse will be around 0.12 marked by the maximum obscuration of the lunar disc," the astrophysicist said.
On October 14 there was an annular solar eclipse which was experienced by the people of mostly North and South America when the ring of fire was observed across a large part of the western hemisphere.
"It occurred when it was night over India and Asia and could not be experienced by people in this region. The day was a New Moon day and marked the beginning of Navratri, celebrated in major parts of India as the beginning of the Durga Puja Festival. In West Bengal and around it was the day of Mahalaya when people offered their prayers to their ancestors ushering in the most celebrated Durga Puja Festival," Duari added.
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Gehlot changes profile pic to 'Save Aravalli', asks Centre to reconsider definition
Jaipur (PTI): Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Thursday urged the Centre to reconsider its definition of the Aravallis, warning that any damage to the mountain range posed a serious threat to the ecological future of north India.
Gehlot, a former Rajasthan chief minister, changed his social media profile picture in support of the nationwide 'SaveAravalli' campaign amid growing debate over mining and environmental safeguards in the Aravalli Range.
It was his symbolic protest against the new interpretation under which hills lower than 100 metres are no longer being recognised as part of the Aravalli system, he said.
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"The Aravalli cannot be judged by tape measures or height alone. It must be assessed by its ecological importance," Gehlot said, adding that the revised definition raised "a big question" over the future of north India.
Appealing to the Centre and the Supreme Court, Gehlot said the issue must be reconsidered in the interest of future generations and environmental security. He also urged citizens to participate in the campaign by changing their display pictures online to draw attention to the issue.
He said the Aravalli range functioned as a natural green wall against the expansion of the Thar desert and extreme heatwaves, protecting Delhi, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Opening up smaller hills and so-called gap areas for mining would allow desertification to advance rapidly, he warned.
Gehlot also flagged concerns over air pollution, saying the hills and forests of the Aravallis acted as the "lungs" of the National Capital Region by checking dust storms and absorbing pollutants.
"When pollution levels are so alarming even with the Aravalli standing, one can imagine how disastrous the situation will be without it," he said.
Highlighting the water crisis, the former chief minister said the rocky terrain of the Aravallis played a crucial role in groundwater recharge by channelising rainwater underground.
"If the hills are destroyed, drinking water shortages will intensify, wildlife will disappear and the entire ecology will be pushed into danger," he said.
Gehlot argued that, from a scientific perspective, the Aravallis was a continuous chain and that even smaller hillocks were as vital as higher peaks.
