Lunar eclipse

Parts of the world shall witness a partial lunar eclipse on Saturday and the celestial event would present a magnified view of itself to the observers in North America due to the phenomenon called ‘moon illusion’.

The lunar eclipse occurs on the full moon day when the earth prevents sunlight from falling on the moon and covers up the moon with its shadow.

Saturday’s eclipse shall begin at 1017 GMT, with the earth’s shadow covering up to 54 per cent of the moon’s diameter. Parts of India, Japan, and East Asia will be able to view the sight, but in New England and northeastern Canada the eclipse may not be visible.

The phenomenon of optical illusion causes the moon to appear larger than its normal size during the eclipse.

This happens when the moon is close to the horizon, but the scientists have not yet agreed upon the exact cause behind its occurrence. The illusion seems a complete handiwork of the human brain as evidence from cameras proves that the moon’s size remains the same at the horizon as well.

In the islands of the South Pacific, the moon illusion can’t be experienced as there the moon will be seen straight above the head.