New Year to begin with partial lunar eclipse

Hyderabad, Dec 31: The New Year is eclipsed. To be precise, the midnight-hour when the year-end revellery peaks with greetings amid the noisy shampagne parties and when the revellers steam out into the streets, they will be greeted by none other than a queer cosmic phenomenon: A lunar eclipse.The eclipse signalling the beginning of 2010, will help amateur star-gazers in the city indulge in astronomical study and pleasures.According to sources, this phenomenon has not occurred in the past 100 years. The lunar event will be witnessed on the New Year Eve again only in 2028 and 2066.

This eclipse is special because the ‘Blue Moon’ will rise on the New Year's Eve. When a month has two full moons, the second full moon is known as ‘Blue Moon’, and the phenomenon is very rare, the B M Birla Science Centre here has informed."The eclipse is partial in India and will begin at 10.45 p.m on Thursday and continue till 2.59 a.m on Friday, the first day of 2010. Another interesting fact is that the eclipse will be visible to the naked eye,” according to an astronomical sources.In Andhra Pradesh, the eclipse will begin at 12.21 pm and end at 1.24 a.m on Friday.In view of the lunar eclipse all temples in the state will be closed on Thursday afternoon and reopened on Friday morning.

Srivenkateswara Temple at Tirumala would be closed at 7 p.m on Dec 31 and reopened at 1.45 a.m on Jan 1 after performing the rituals.The Satyanarayana Swamy temple at Annavaram, Suryanarayana Swamy temple in Arasavalli, Sri Rama temple at Bhadrachalam, Rajarajeswari temple at Vemulavada in Karimnagar and Narasimha swamy temple in Yadagirigutta would be closed on Thursday afternoon.However, the Srikalahastiswara Swamy temple at Srikalahasti and Varasiddi Vinayaka temple in Kanipakam would not be closed, the temple authorities said.