India will witness a ‘Super Blue-Blood Moon’ Chandra Grahan 2018, on January 31, which is a total Blue Moon lunar eclipse. Such a phenomenon was last seen 152 years ago, on March 31, 1866. It will not be seen again for 11more years, till December 31, 2028.

The sky will offer up a combination of a Supermoon, a Blue Moon and a Blood Moon. Supermoon occurs when the moon is the closest to the earth; a Blue Moon is the second full moon in a month and a Blood Moon refers to the red hue assumed by the moon at the peak of a lunar eclipse.

Many organizations — public and private — have arranged sky-gazing sessions, replete with experts to talk about the phenomenon and the science behind it. “We plan to organize a ‘Super Blue-Blood Moon’ viewing-cum-camping. Our guests will start coming around 5.30pm on January 31. We have also arranged a small presentation by an expert speaker. We have been getting an excellent response form enthusiasts, more so from Mumbai,” said Omkar Kulkarni of Rainbow Island near Hinjewadi.

Deepak Joshi of Jyotirvidya Parisanstha, an association of amateur astronomers from Pune, said that they are arranging an opento-all session that day. “We will be setting up eight to 10 telescopes on top of a highrise. We have also planned to install a large screen to project the phenomenon. Our volunteers will discuss the phenomenon with participants,” Joshi said.

The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) is organizing a live webcast. “We are planning to relay the phenomenon live over a webcast along with necessary information,” Sameer Dhurde of IUCAA said.