A total lunar eclipse accompanied by a rare blocking of Uranus and two meteor showers are just some of the cosmic wonders expected to be visible from Taiwan this year, the Taipei Astronomical Museum has said.
Weather permitting, observation conditions for the Nov. 8 eclipse should be excellent, with astronomy buffs able to catch the entire process in which the moon turns blood-red at one point, the museum said.
The eclipse is to take place soon after the moon rises at 5:02pm and last until 8:49pm, it said, adding that the full moon should have a copper hue when it becomes completely obscured by the Earth’s shadow from 6:16pm to 7:42pm.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Astronomical Museum via CNA
In a total lunar eclipse, the Earth is positioned between the sun and the moon, blocking sunlight from what would otherwise be a radiant full moon.
However, the moon does not completely disappear in a total lunar eclipse because sunlight is refracted into the shadow cone by the Earth’s atmosphere.
This year’s lunar eclipse is more special because the moon is to pass in front of Uranus, a phenomenon known as “occultation,” the museum said.
The rare sight, which can be seen through binoculars, is to take place from 7:05pm to 7:53pm.
The last time a total lunar eclipse coinciding with any kind of occultation of planets visible from Taiwan was before astronomical records began in the 17th century, the museum said.
For shooting-star chasers, the Eta Aquarids on May 6 and the Geminids on Dec. 14 are sure to be special, it said.
Up to 50 Eta Aquarids per hour could flash through a radiant northern sky, the museum said, adding that observational conditions would be best after midnight due to less interference from the moon.
The Eta Aquarids, known for their brightness and speed, happen when the Earth encounters debris from Halley’s Comet.
With the passing of the Geminids — one of the three most abundant meteor showers of the year, along with the Quadrantids in January and the Perseids in August — about 150 shooting stars per hour are estimated before midnight, the museum said.
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Taiwan's Gold Apollo Co (金阿波羅通信) said today that the pagers used in detonations in Lebanon the day before were not made by it, but by a company called BAC which has a license to use its brand. At least nine people were killed and nearly 3,000 wounded when pagers used by Hezbollah members detonated simultaneously across Lebanon yesterday. Images of destroyed pagers analyzed by Reuters showed a format and stickers on the back that were consistent with pagers made by Gold Apollo. A senior Lebanese security source told Reuters that Hezbollah had ordered 5,000 pagers from Taiwan-based Gold Apollo. "The product was not
COLD FACTS: ‘Snow skin’ mooncakes, made with a glutinous rice skin and kept at a low temperature, have relatively few calories compared with other mooncakes Traditional mooncakes are a typical treat for many Taiwanese in the lead-up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, but a Taipei-based dietitian has urged people not to eat more than one per day and not to have them every day due to their high fat and calorie content. As mooncakes contain a lot of oil and sugar, they can have negative health effects on older people and those with diabetes, said Lai Yu-han (賴俞含), a dietitian at Taipei Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. “The maximum you can have is one mooncake a day, and do not eat them every day,” Lai