Friday's Wolf moon eclipse kicks off the first of 13 full moons in 2020
Kolkata, Jan 9: This year started off with a meteor shower and the first month of 2020 continues with a penumbral lunar eclipse during the full moon, on Friday.
The eclipse began at 10.37 pm on January 10. It will end around 2.42 am on January 11, the Director of M P Birla Planetarium, Debiprosad Duari, said in a statement on Wednesday.
The lunar eclipse on Friday will be the first of four penumbral lunar eclipses that will take place this year, Duari said, adding, the other three penumbral lunar eclipses will occur on June 5, July 5 and November 30.
The penumbral lunar eclipse will also be visible from different countries in Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe, he said.
In a normal lunar eclipse, the moon passes through the central part of the earth's shadow called umbra, and one witnesses considerable darkening of the lunar disc.
But in case of January 10 penumbral lunar eclipse there will be only a slight dimming of the lunar surface, the statement quoted Duari as saying.
"To a naked eye it is sometimes a little difficult to recognise a penumbral lunar eclipse, though it is interesting to see the larger than usual appearance of the moon, and the shifts in shadow during the 4-hour period," the renowned astrophysicist said.
Asked if the event would be clearly visible from Kolkata, Duari said, Skygazers across the state, including Kolkata, will be able to witness the celestial event only if the weather does not play a spoilsport.
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Sonia Gandhi stable, under observation at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital
New Delhi (PTI): Veteran Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, who is admitted at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here, is stable and under close medical supervision, doctors said on Wednesday.
According to hospital authorities, she was admitted at around 10.22 pm on Tuesday.
Chairman Dr Ajay Swaroop said that her condition remains stable and a team of doctors is closely monitoring her health.
Doctors are conducting further examinations to check for a possible infection in the stomach and urinary tract, and antibiotics have been administered as part of the treatment, the hospital said.
Sources had earlier said that Gandhi was unwell, possibly due to the weather change, and was admitted for observation.
They said there is no cause for concern and her condition is not serious.
