The director-general of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Halilu Shaba, has said that the first total lunar eclipse of the year will occur globally on May 16, 2022.
According to him, the total lunar eclipse will be visible throughout Nigeria as well as in many other countries in Africa, North and South America, Europe and some parts of Asia.
The NASRDA boss explained that the Lunar eclipse is a natural phenomenon that occurs whenever the Earth’s shadow blocks the sun’s light, which otherwise reflects off the moon.
He highlighted that there are three types of lunar eclipse, total, partial and penumbral lunar eclipse. He further explained that the most dramatic of them all is the Total lunar eclipse, in which the earth’s shadow completely covers the moon, making the moon to appear bright red in the night sky during the time of totality.
Shaba stated that lunar eclipses have over ages, inspired awe and also created fear in some cases as a result of the blood-red colour the moon turns as a during a total lunar eclipse.
He, however, urged the general public to be at ease as there is no cause for alarm stating that the refraction of light from planet earth around the edges of the atmosphere while falling upon the moon’s surface, is the reason why the moon becomes reddish in colour.
In a statement by the agency’s head, media and corporate communications, Dr. Felix Ale, Shaba lauded the effort of one of the agency’s Centres of Excellence, Centre for Basic Space Science CBBS, Nsukka, headed by Dr. Bonaventure Okere, for delivering qualitative research towards this year’s Lunar eclipse and encouraged the centre to keep up the good work.
