Lunar eclipse experience: Interplay of shadows!

Hello! Yesterday’s lunar eclipse was memorable! The night began with clouds and rains. Initially it was the shadows of clouds! We were ready with two telescopes and a binocular. When the Moon entered the penumbra, the eclipse began. But the Sun is so bright that even after being partially covered, lowering of brightness of the Moon is negligible. But later when the Moon entered the umbra (when the Sun was completely obstructed by the Earth), then the edge of the Moon got darkened. Still clouds continued. Just for a few seconds they would give an opening and the Moon would become visible. Its eclipse was clearly visible. From the Full Moon, it gradually became a crescent! And as more and more area of the Moon came inside the umbra, it became reddish! It was a treat to watch it! 

As far as photos are concerned, due to clouds, I could not take great photos. My friend- Gireesh Mandhale took great photos through his 8 inch telescope. They can be seen here.

 

As the Moon went inside the deep shadow, its colour changed. Now the Moon was faint and reddish and faint stars were visible near the Moon through the telescopes. Generally such faint stars get lost in the glow of the Moon. It was a wonderful site- the red moon and stars nearby. From Full Moon phase to crescent phases, the Moon showcased all phases and in the total eclipse phase, it became totally reddish. Slowly its bright crescent emerged. And the arc of the Earth's shadow on the Moon! It was revealing how large this circle of the Shadow is as compared to the Moon! And also it was showing that the Moon is spherical! Wonderful and mesmerizing to see all the phases in a short span of time! The wait and staying awake was worth it!

This Moon is a vital component for the Earth and also for the living beings. The Moon and the Sun induce tidal waves in seas and human body also has 70% water. It also gets moved. The Sun is the symbol of power and the Moon is the symbol of serenity. The Sun gives power to the body and the Moon gives stimulus to the mind. *The moon is closely related with many biological cycles and also the mind.* That's why sometimes the Moon is very blissful and sometimes at late night or in the dawn during the waning Moon phase, it disturbs us also. And more so on the Full Moon occasions. On the Full Moon nights, waves or up- downs in human minds are more dominant. People are anxious on the Full Moon day. *Even we can observe our emotions on the Full Moon day and see that the graph is moving up- down then.* That's why there is a word- "lunatic" (those who get disturbed by the Moon). And interestingly, on the Full Moon day, there is also an opening to go beyond the mind. Buddha Purnima, Nanak Purnima and Kabir Purnima! They achieved enlightenment and were liberated from the mind. 

And when there is this total lunar eclipse on the Full Moon night, then it presents with an anomaly in the journey of humans and living beings. There are its examples. The living beings have a clock which woks with the Sun and the Moon and instincts are controlled by this clock. When from the Full Moon, it suddenly gets dim and then again it reaches the Full Moon stage, it surely impacts the living beings. 

We feel our life as very well known and crystal clear. But our galaxy- the Sun with it and the Earth with the Sun- they all move lacs of kilometres in space each day! Therefore, actually we always enter into very new and unknown territory every day! When we observe the sky, we realize this. We get to know about such wonderful inter-plays!

Thanks for reading. Can share with near ones. -Niranjan Welankar 09422108376. Sky watching, meditation, fun- learn, fitness workshops. Date of writing: 8 September 2025.