The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) has announced that we’ll be treated to a total lunar eclipse on the 15^th of June. And apparently this one is rather special huzza!

In a statement the SAAO said:

A total lunar eclipse will be visible from South Africa on the 15th of June 2011. The last total lunar eclipse visible from this region was in February 2008 and the next one will only be in September 2015.

Dr Enrico Olivier of SAAO says:

It’s special in the sense that it’s a total eclipse which is somewhat more rare than a normal lunar eclipse which is usually a partial or penumbral eclipse.

He then went on to say:

There are at least two a year and they normally fall in the middle of the year and at the end of the year.

There’s another one at the end of the year and that one will be a total eclipse if I remember correctly from certain parts of the world, but from Southern Africa it will only appear as a partial eclipse and that will only happen in the early morning.

The difference between a solar and a lunar eclipse is that in a solar eclipse the moon cast a shadow on the earth and can fry your eyes if you look at it. A lunar eclipse is the other way round, where the earth casts a shadow on the moon.

Unfortunately if you live in a built up area there may be too much ambient light around to give you a decent viewing of the event, so it’s best you venture out into the bush somewhere.

[Source : News24]