Good weather enables visitors to see full eclipse in Port Dickson

PORT DICKSON: Good weather gave a golden opportunity to members of the public who were at the Teluk Kemang Observatory to observe the the longest full eclipse of the moon in the 21st century which occurred early this morning.
Assistant Manager of the Teluk Kemang Observatory Muzamir Mazlan said the full eclipse of the moon this time was the longest phenomenon lasting 1 hour 43 minutes.
"Tonight we are fortunate because the whole of Malaysia could observe the full eclipse of the moon lasting for 1 hour 43 minutes of darkness on the moon's surface, that is the most special phenomenon that we can see today.
"To enable members of the public to see closely the phenomenon, two telescopes were provided,"he told newsmen here, early this morning.
He said the eclipse of the moon began with the beginning of the Penumbra Phase, the beginning of the Separa Phase, the beginning of the Full Phase, the maximum Full Phase, the ending of the Full Phase, the ending of the Separa Phase and the ending of the Penumbra Phase.
"The full moon eclipse occurs when the sun, earth and moon are aligned in one row and the whole moon crosses the earth's umbra shadow.
"The moon slowly changes colour from pearl white which is normally seen to red before returning to the original colour within a period of five hours," he said.
A visitor, Mohd Muhklis Ab Sahak, 26, said this was his first experience to observe the phenomenon which passed through various phases forming a proper eclipse.
"I am most satisfied as I could see for myself the full eclipse of the moon which happens to be my first experience, alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah) the weather is good and does not prevent me from seeing the phenomenon personally," he said.
Zulkarnain Arifin, 49, went with his family to the Teluk Kemang Observatory to give them exposure on learning the phenomenon of the eclipse of the moon.
"This is an educational process that we can learn because such an occurrence seldom happens and this is the best opportunity for us to see for ourselves the process of this universal phenomenon," he said. — Bernama