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BMKG advises best spots to view rare lunar event, warns of king tide
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A staff member of the Kota Tua management unit tests a telescope for viewing the super blue blood moon and lunar eclipse that will occur on the evening of Jan. 31. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
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oastal areas and the roofs of skyscrapers are among the best spots to view tonight’s combined astronomical phenomena of a lunar eclipse, a supermoon and a blue moon, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has advised, even though a cloudy evening has been forecast.
A supermoon describes the moon when it is at its closest point to the Earth, while a blue moon is the second full moon to occur in a single month. When these happen together, it is known as a super blue blood moon.
Tonight’s lunar event is an extraordinary one that happens only once every 100 years, with the lunar eclipse occurring at the same time as a super blue blood moon.
BMKG spokesperson Hary Djatmiko said those who sought the best view of the lunar eclipse could head to Central Jakarta's Taman Ismail Marzuki Planetarium, which was preparing several telescopes for public use.
Fatahillah Square in Kota Tua, West Jakarta, will also provide a large 8-by-5 meter screen and binoculars for people to watch the total lunar eclipse.
“The naked eye can only see the eclipse when the sky is clear,” Hary said on Tuesday as quoted by tempo.co.
Hary also said the eclipse would be visible from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Meanwhile, the super blue blood moon would be visible until dawn.
Hary also warned the public to be aware of the effects of the lunar eclipse, which causes especially strong tides known as king tides.
“Especially along the northern coastal areas and Muara Karang [North Jakarta] and the surrounding area,” he said, adding that the last lunar eclipse on Dec. 3-4, 2017 caused a flood around Sunda Kelapa Port and Muara Karang, although there was no rain at the time. (gis)
