Occurring on the night of a full moon, the Moon will pass directly behind the Earth into its umbra (shadow), causing the sunlight reflecting the moon’s surface to become dark or faded during the transition.
The phenomenon occurs only when the sun, Earth and moon are aligned exactly.
Astronomers will gather at the park from 6pm to observe the astronomical phenomenon and will remain there until 10pm, PRU science lecturer Nattapong Songumpai explained to The Phuket News.
“If it does not rain, Saphan Hin Park is the best location to see the lunar eclipse,” Mr Nattapong said.
“We can watch it with our bare eyes, or use a telescope to see the eclipse clearer,as it will produce orange and red light during different phases (of the eclipse),” he added.
The actual total eclipse will last one hour and 16 minutes, Mr Nattapong said.
“It will be so long that we all have enough time to see it. The moon will begin to enter the Earth’s shadow at 7:51pm. It will be entirely eclipsed at 8:29pm and will finally be clear of the Earth’s shadow at 9:07pm,” he explanied.
“Do not miss this opportunity,” Mr Natthapong urged.
“Students from other institutions can join us. We will have a presentation highlighting astronomical phenomenons for 2018, and we will have a Dobsonian telescope there through which we can observe the sky during the night.
“People can also join our quizzes and win prizes from the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (Narit),” Mr Nattapong added.
– Pakin Intajak