November 20, 2002	Wednesday	Ramazan 14, 1423

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KARACHI, Nov 19: A lunar eclipse, occurring on Wednesday, will be visible in Pakistan at moonset. The eclipse will be this year’s last and also its longest.

The penumbral eclipse, will not be noticed by the naked eye. During the eclipse some of the sun’s rays will be blocked by the earth.

The amount of light reflected by moon, thus, will not reduce significantly, according to a press release of the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO). The people desirous of watching the eclipse will, therefore, have to use proper equipment.

The astronomical event will begin at 4.32am and end at 9.01am (PST). It will therefore be this year’s longest. Besides Pakistan and parts of Central Asia, the eclipse will be visible to people living in South and North America, Europe and Africa.

The last lunar eclipse occurred on June 24 and the next will be observable on May 16. The one in May will be a total eclipse.

Meanwhile, a total solar eclipse will occur on Dec 4 from 10.50 PST to 14.12 PST. This eclipse, however, will not be visible to Pakistanis.

It will be visible to people of South Atlantic Ocean, South Africa, Indian Ocean and South Australia. This eclipse will also be partially visible to people of Indonesia and Antarctica.