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Beaver Blood Moon lunar eclipse on Nov. 8

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On the full moon day of November 8, 2022, there will be a total lunar eclipse that will be visible in Asia, Australia, America and part of Europe.

However, this eclipse is visible to Sri Lanka as a partial lunar eclipse at the moon’s rise.

The total eclipse begins at 1.32 p.m., the maximum occurs at 4.29 p.m. and the eclipse ends up at 7.26 p. m., Sri Lanka Standard time. Sri Lankans can view only the latter part of this safe naked-eye event as a partial eclipse with the moon rise at 5.48 p.m. from the eastern horizon. The partial phase of the eclipse ends up at 6.19 p.m. said Prof. Chandana Jayaratne, the Director of the Astronomy and Space Science Unit, Department of Physics, Colombo University.

This is the second and final total lunar eclipse of 2022 and is famously known as the Beaver Blood Moon lunar eclipse. The true maximum point of this eclipse cannot be seen in Sri Lanka because the Moon is below the horizon at that time. Since the Moon is near the horizon at this time, it is better to select a high point or find an unobstructed area with free sight to the east-northeast for the best view of the eclipse, said Prof. Chandana Jayaratne.

The next total lunar eclipse won’t take place until March 14, 2025.

Why do we call it a Beaver Blood Moon Eclipse

All the full moons have popular nicknames. If the full moon in November falls before November 7, it is called the Hunter’s Moon. Otherwise, like this year, it is called the full Beaver Moon. The name Beaver is given due to the time of year when beavers available in many countries in the northern parts of the world prepare their dens for the coming cold months and stock up on food.

Despite its nickname “blood moon”, at the totally, eclipsed moon looks an orangey-copper reddish color and not a blood-red color.

During a total lunar eclipse, a full moon passes first into the penumbra or less dark outer shadow of the Earth and then enters into the Earth’s umbra or deep central shadow. At the totality, the only sunlight reaching the moon is light that passes through Earth’s atmosphere. Instead of expected black, it turns the lunar surface red because of Rayleigh scattering. The more the environmental pollution, dust or clouds in Earth’s atmosphere during the eclipse, the redder the Moon will appear.

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Strong winds over the island expected today

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The Department of Meteorology says South-West monsoon conditions are gradually getting established over the island and it will be in effect until 5.30 am tomorrow (20).

Cloudy skies can be expected over most parts of the island.

Meanwhile, wind speed in the sea areas of the relevant areas may increase to 55 – 65 kmph at times.

Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, North-western, Central, Southern and Northern provinces.

Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle, Matara, Puttalam, Nuwara-Eliya and Kandy districts.

Several spells of showers will occur in the North-central province.

Showers or thundershowers may occur at several places elsewhere on the island during the evening or night.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

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The National War Heroes Commemoration tomorrow at Kotte Cenotaph

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The 16th National War Heroes Commemoration Ceremony will be held on Monday (19 May) at the National War Hero Cenotaph in Sri Jayawardenepura, Kotte, from 4.00pm to 6.00pm.

A series of island-wide community welfare programmes will also be carried out by armed forces, Police and Civil Security Department in view of the War Hero Commemorations.

Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) is expected to represent President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the event. Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda and Marshal of the Sri Lanka Air Force Roshan Gunathilleke are also scheduled to attend the ceremony.

The Ministry of Defence on Friday convened a press conference to announce the preparations for the ceremony. Commanders of the Navy and Air Force, Army Chief of Staff, senior military officials and Ministry representatives were present at the press briefing.

Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) underscored the national significance of the annual commemoration, paying tribute to the brave men and women of the armed forces, Sri Lanka Police and Civil Security Department who laid down their lives in the defence of the nation.

He reiterated the Ministry’s and the Tri-forces’ commitment to preserving the memory of fallen heroes, ensuring that their legacy of patriotism, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to duty continues to inspire future generations.

During the briefing, officials of Ranaviru Seva Authority and armed forces provided an overview of the ceremonial proceedings, which will include wreath-laying, special tributes, and military honours, with the participation of distinguished guests, military personnel, and the families of war heroes.

The event seeks to serve as a solemn occasion for the nation to express its gratitude and respect for those who selflessly served the country’s sovereignty and national security.

The Ministry of Defence calls upon all citizens to stand in solidarity in remembering the nation’s war heroes, reaffirming collective appreciation for their dedication to protecting the country and its people.

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NMRA chief resigns, citing threats to life

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Saveen Semage, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), resigned with immediate effect yesterday, citing threats to his life.

On May 9, CCTV in his home captured two men breaking in and walking around the residence for around half an hour from 11.30pm to midnight. They were observed peeping into the bedroom where Dr. Semage slept. His wife and children were also asleep in the house.

Dr. Semage, a public health specialist, was appointed to the position in January 2024. He was also previously CEO from November 2021 to May 2022, when he resigned over differences with former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. He was brought back last year by Ramesh Pathirana—who replaced Minister Rambukwella after he was forced to resign over irregularities in drug procurement—to clean up the drugs regulatory mechanism.

However, he faced stiff resistance from the pharma industry, particularly in his efforts to break drug monopolies and oligopolies that were blamed for rigging tenders (typically agreements among competitors to fix prices, allocate markets, or engage in other anticompetitive activity). He was also a victim of social media attacks largely blaming him for being politically motivated.

“There was a lot of tension within the NMRA and the pharmaceutical industry during the last two to three weeks because of my efforts in pricing and in breaking monopolies and oligopolies to save public funds,” Dr. Semage told the Sunday Times. “I think the break-in was a threat in an effort to remove me.”

“During the past 15 months, the NMRA has cleared the backlog of registrations and streamlined re-registration for drugs. He was also able to trace fake documents and to kick-start a digitalisation process that abruptly came to an end in 2021 when the NMRA database was mysteriously erased. During his term, the Authority also doubled its staff, taking in 30 new pharmacists, among others. The National Advisory Committee and Appeals Committee were also put in place, and a pricing mechanism, along with guidelines, was published.

(sundaytimes.lk)
(This story, originally published by sundaytimes.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

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