Dark side of the moon

The lunar eclipse on March 4 will truly be a romantic affair when a gigantic red moon will adorn the skies for about four hours starting 3am. People with access to balconies and gazebos should rush out and stake out their getaways facing the eastern horizon to bask in its glory.

Usually, rising moons are often reddened by the presence of chemicals in the air or dust clouds. But the moon on Sunday will be an extraordinary burgundy only seen during a lunar eclipse. While eclipses are a regular phenomenon, witnessed typically once or twice a year, astronomers claim that Sunday’s lunar eclipse is of Saros Series 123, which occurs at the moon’s descending node. (See box on Saros)

Lunar eclipses of Saros Series 123 all occur at the Moon’s descending node and the Moon moves northward with each eclipse. The series began with a partial eclipse south of the Ecliptic on August 16, 1087. The series will end with a partial eclipse north of the Ecliptic on October 19, 2385. The total duration of Saros Series 123 is 1,298.17 years.