Longest Partial Lunar Eclipse on 19 Nov 2021 Visible in India

The second and Last Eclipse visible from India in 2021 will occur on 19th November 2021. This eclipse is a Partial Lunar Eclipse. Across the world, this eclipse will be visible in the region covering western Africa, western Europe, North& South America, Asia, Australasia, Atlantic Ocean and  Pacific.

Timings of Eclipse& Date: Eclipse in various phases begins at 11.30 am. on 19th November 2021 and Ends at 5.35 p.m. The noticeable Umbral phase begins at 12.48 Noon and Ends at 4.17 p.m. 

In other words: Though astronomically speaking Eclipse begins at 11.30 am. with moon entering the lighter Shadow of Earth called Penumbra and ends at 5.35 p.m leaving Penumbra. People across the world noticeably would witness darkening (or leaving) of Moon’s disk by Earth Shadow in Umbral phase between 12.48 Noon to 4.17 p.m. on 19 November 2021 i.e. which at 3hrs 28 Minutes 23 Secs.

Reason for Being Longest/Lengthiest – Not Visible in Most places: It’s a fact that a Lunar Eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the shadow of Earth. On 21 November 2021 7.42 a.m. moon will reach the farthest point in its orbit called Apogee. So Eclipse of the Moon on 19 Nov occurs 41 hours before Earth reaching Apogee. Hence as Moon on 19^th Nov 2021 is farther away from Earth, it will travel slower along its orbit than at Perigee. In other words Moon near apogee point takes longer to pass through Earth’s shadow making the Partial Eclipse of the Moon on 19 Nov 2021 the longest.

Why Visibility few parts of Assam & Arunachal Pradesh?  The moon rises around 4.24 p.m. in Assam & Arunachal Pradesh whereas the rest of the country Moon rises late. For example like most of the states Moon Rises at 5.43 p.m. in Hyderabad on 19 Nov 2021. Though Eclipse of Moon will occur on 19 Nov in India. Most of the people across India will miss observing this event because Moon rises late and is not above the horizon during the time of eclipse on 19^th Nov 2021.  

580 years – 1000 years Social Media Confusion?  Three Lengthiest Lunar Eclipses in 1300 years  – Umbra/Partial phase: Between year 1400 to 2700 three lengthiest “Partial” Lunar Eclipses can be noted i.e 18 Feb 1440 at 3hrs 28mins 46 Sec,  19 Nov 2021 at 3hrs 28mins 23sec  and on 8 Feb 2669 at 3hr 30mins 02 Secs. This simply means the last time the lengthiest “Partial” Lunar Eclipse occurred was 580 years ago in 1440. Whereas the next lengthiest “Partial” Lunar Eclipse will occur 648 years from Now i.e. in the year 2669.

Names of Moon: In the recent past social media is called Full Moon & allied events with different names. Ex: Full Moon on 19 Nov 2021 is Beaver Moon.  It’s a fact that across the world different folklore name full Moon with different names every month. These Folklore names are based on seasons or astrological reasons. However scientifically speaking natural Satellite of Earth as per International Astronomical Union (IAU) as only one name i.e. Moon.  

The next Lunar Eclipse visible from India which is the Total Lunar Eclipse will occur on 8th Nov 2022. The last lunar Eclipse visible from India occurred on 26 May 2021 which was visible in a few places in India. Whereas the last opportunity to see Lunar Eclipse, for all people across India occurred on 31 January 2018 which was Total. 

NASA's SpaceX Crew-3 Mission Launch 11 NOV 2021 - All the Best Raja Chari, Elon Musk

 On 11^th November 2021 at 7.33 a.m. IST NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission is scheduled for launch. This is the third crew rotation flight of the “Crew Dragon spacecraft” and Falcon 9 rocket and will carry four astronauts of  Crew-3 Mission to the International Space Station (ISS) from historic Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Live coverage of this launch event with docking, hatch opening and welcoming ceremony etc.. is scheduled from 3.15 a.m. on https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/ . In case of any postponement of the launch on 11 Nov 2021, a backup launch opportunity is planned on 7.10 a.m. IST on November 12.

Astronauts of the Mission visiting International Space Station (ISS) : Present NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission is the third crew flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket developed by Elon Musk-led SpaceX Company. 

This mission consists of NASA astronauts Raja Chari, mission commander, Tom Marshburn, pilot, and Kayla Barron, mission specialist plus ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer, who also will serve as a mission specialist, to the International Space Station.

Reaching International Space Station on 12 Nov 2021: If everything goes as planned the Crew Dragon Spacecraft is expected to reach International Space Station at 5.40 a.m. on 12 November 2021.  Live Coverage of Hatch Opening of the Crew-3 Crew Dragon at the ISS, Welcoming Ceremony for the Crew-3 Astronauts Aboard the International Space Station is planned between 5.40 a.m. to 7.50 a.m. on 12 Nov 2021.  PLANETARY SOCIETY, INDIA WISHES ALL THE BEST FOR THE MISSION AND RAJA CHARI FOR HIS MAIDEN SPACE FLIGHT.

What is International Space Station (ISS)?   

The International Space Station (ISS) is a modular space station (habitable artificial satellite) in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada).  

The space station is approximately the size of a football field. This 460-ton space station orbits earth 400 km above. The crew members of this permanently crewed platform station are replaced through Crew Rotation Missions at regular intervals. Whereas ration & other supplies are sent using unmanned flights.  

Flying at 28 800 km/h around Earth it takes 92 minutes for this weightless laboratory to make a complete circuit of Earth. As of December 2020 in over two decades ISS completed 1,31,440 around Earth @15.49 orbits per day.

WHAT IS US NASA Artemis Programme? 

The Artemis program is a United States-led international human spaceflight program. Its primary goal is to return humans to the Moon, specifically the lunar south pole, by 2024-25. 

Who is ASTRONAUT RAJA CHARI? How was he Selected and Trained to be Astronaut? 

 Raja Jon Vurputoor Chari, 43 is an American citizen of Indian Origin. He is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy, MIT, and US Naval Test Pilot School and has over 2,000 flying hours which includes  F-35, F-15, F-16, and F-18. In July 2017 he was selected from over 18300 applicants to be among 12 Members selected for “NASA Astronaut Group 22” and underwent two years of astronaut training from Aug 2017. 

While November 11 will be the first flight of Chari to space. This U.S. Air Force Colonel still ha
s extensive flight experience. Before reporting to NASA he has flown combat missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and also deployed overseas in support of the Korean peninsula. 

Raja Chari is a person of Indian Origin & an American Citizen. Does he have roots in  Mahabubnagar, Telangana?  

 Raja’s father, Sreenivas Chari, did an engineering degree from Osmania University before moving to America. In 2010 Sreenivas Chari expired. Raja’s grandfather, a native of Mahabubnagar, was a Mathematics professor at Osmania University and died very early in 1955. Raja has visited Hyderabad thrice, where many of his close relatives live.

Will Astronaut Raja Chari Land on Surface of Moon. In NASA's  ARTEMIS Prog or Later?
On 9 December 2020 US Government announced an initial team of NASA astronauts – the Artemis Team consisting of 18 astronauts (9 male and 9 female), for the back to the moon “Artemis” Program. Astronaut Raja Chari was selected to be part of this group of astronauts who will pave the way for the next lunar missions under the Artemis Programme returning Americans Astronauts to the surface of the Moon. Planetary Society India hopes though Raja Chari though selected for initial missions of Artemis Programme may one day land on the surface of the Moon. 

#crew3 #SpaceX #ISS #NASA  Thanks to Telangana Today for Photos