National
Rare ‘Super Blue Blood Moon’ leaves millions awestruck in India (Roundup)
New Delhi/Bengaluru, Jan 31 (IANS) The much awaited “Supermoon” became visible in India a little later than expected on Wednesday but when it did, millions of stargazers across the country relished the rare celestial triple delight with a sense of awe.
The January 31 sighting of a “Blue Moon” and a total lunar eclipse occurred in India for the first time after 1982.
While the Moon was in the Earth’s shadow, it took on a reddish tint known as a “blood Moon”.
During the eclipse, the Moon was just a day past perigee which is the closest point to Earth in its orbit — making it appear very large and bright (about 14 per cent) — and so a “Supermoon”.
Lastly, it is also the second full moon of the month, commonly known as a “blue moon”. The last full Moon of the month was on January 2.
Many organisations across the country stepped in to enhance the show which was also visible to the naked eye.
SPACE India, a start-up focused on astronomy education and astro-tourism services, organised several events at various locations across the country to observe the phenomenon from 6 p.m.-9.30 p.m.
At India Gate, SPACE India used the Dobsonian telescope which gave a very clear and crisp view of the “Supermoon”.
The instrument allowed skywatchers to view the Moon 20 times bigger than it appears to the naked eye.
“Apart from Delhi, Space India organised the event in five other cities — Chennai, Bengaluru, Surat, Dehradun and Meerut – and also at DAV school in Gurgaon. Over 500 people gathered at India Gate to watch this phenomenon,” Dr. Mila Mitra, Scientific Officer, Head, Research and Publications, told IANS.
Yashwe, a 7th class student from St. Thomas School at Mandir Marg, said: “It’s a rare opportunity and being a member of an astronomy club, I feel delighted after watching the eclipse live.”
In Bengaluru, thousands of stargazers gathered at the Nehru Planetarium in the city and other open spaces to catch a glimpse of the celestial spectacle.
“This lunar eclipse is special because a Supermoon (when Moon appears larger than usual when its closest to Earth), blue Moon (second full Moon of each month) and blood Moon (Moon appears red during eclipse) will all coincide at once,” its Director Pramod G. Galgali told IANS.
The planetarium in the city centre had hundreds of children, students and adults queuing up to view the once in a Blue Moon event clearly through telescopes and binoculars.
The Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bengaluru had also set up few telescopes in open spaces for public viewing of the eclipse.
Not just a visual treat, but the celestial spectacle was an opportunity for astronomers to study Earth’s natural satellite, the Moon.
“The lunar eclipse would give scientists a special opportunity to study the Moon using the astronomer’s equivalent of a heat-sensing, or thermal camera,” NASA said in a statement earlier.
The Moon, which goes around the Earth in an elliptical orbit, gets closest to the Earth at one point — known as perigee.
Several Hindu temples were shut across the state on Wednesday, with many devout Hindus staying away from eating till the end of lunar eclipse, as it is feared to be inauspicious.
Renowned Hindu worship places in Karnataka like Manjunatheshwara Temple in Dharmasthala, 300 km from Bengaluru and Krishna Mutt in Udupi, about 400 km from Bengaluru, were shut till the end of the eclipse at about 9.30 p.m.
–IANS
rt-bha/na/vd
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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