A total lunar eclipse and a lunar occultation of Uranus will appear visible in Hong Kong next Tuesday, Nov. 8. From 6 PM to 9 PM, the moon will assume an unusual copper-red appearance whilst also blocking the position of Uranus, during which these two coinciding astronomic phenomena will be livestreamed online by the Hong Kong Space Museum, announced a government press release.
The lunar occultation of Uranus occurs rarely and involves the moon obscuring the planet Uranus. It is only during this rare occasion that the lunar eclipse will cause the moon to become so dim that both the moon and Uranus are visible at the same time.
If the weather is clear enough, the best place to observe the lunar eclipse in person is from a location giving an unobstructed perspective of the east-northeast direction. However, the planet Uranus is lacking in brightness as it is and would require a telescope for it to be visible. Some choice locations include the Central and Western District Promenade, Tsim Sha Tsui’s Avenue of Stars, or the Pak Shek Kok Promenade, as recommended by the HK Space Museum.
The eclipse will begin once the moon ascends in the eastern direction, beginning from 5:37 PM that evening. The moon will enter into the shadow of planet Earth entirely starting from 6:16 PM, and will remain in obstruction for up to one hour and 26 minutes.
Viewers can access the livestream on the official HK Space Museum YouTube channel, and on the "vis-à-vis +01" site provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), while the LCSD Plusss Facebook Page will post additional complementary facts and information explaining the phenomenon. On Saturday Nov. 5, the HK Space Museum will also be posting instructions on how to better observe the eclipse and Uranus occultation in person via the above pages.
For more information on the astrological event, click here.
