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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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Won’t allow country to collapse: President 

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Delivering a special statement in Parliament a short while ago on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Fund Facility (EFF), President Ranil Wickremesinghe said he would not allow the country to collapse even if he has to face difficulties. 

He said that at a time when the country was in chaos in July last year, no one was willing to accept responsibility and he was requested to take over. “I had no power in Parliament, no Members of Parliament from my Party to call my own. However, my strength was my conviction that I was capable of rebuilding the country,” he said. 

The receipt of the IMF Facility is a step towards building a better future for the youth and uplifting the country. The credit facility amounts to approximately USD 3 billion over 4 years, with the first tranche of USD 333 million will be received. 

Additionally, the country is expecting about USD 7 billion dollars more in rapid credit support from other parties, President Wickremesinghe said. 

He said that some people consider the IMF EFF as just another loan, while others claim that the total debt of the country cannot be paid off with the amount received. He noted that these statements show either ignorance or a willingness to betray the country for political gain 

President Wickremesinghe told Parliament that the IMF EFF will restore Sri Lanka’s international recognition, ensure the country is not bankrupt and help banks regain international recognition. This will create opportunities for low-interest credit, restore foreign investors’ confidence and lay the foundation for a strong new economy.

The President said that amidst numerous hardships, bearing all kinds of pressure, and undergoing suffering with equanimity, the people of this country remained calm and patient. Their commitment was a great strength in achieving the IMF Facility. Therefore, he extended his gratitude to the people of the country

“We are now starting a new journey. We have to introduce many economic reforms throughout the process. The foundation for our success will be through this path. Some of these reforms have already been proposed and implemented through the interim budget of 2022 and the budget for 2023. We will introduce numerous other reforms,” he said in his special statement.

He also said the government aims to reduce the primary deficit to 2.3% of GDP by 2025 and increase revenue to 14% of GDP by 2026. “The standard corporate income tax rate has been raised to 30%, and sectoral tax holidays have been eliminated. The PAYE tax rate has been raised from 12% to 15%, and the tax exemption limit has been reduced from Rs. 300 million to Rs. 80 million,” he said.

The President also stated that he had previously requested the support of the opposition in rebuilding the economy, but did not receive it. He had made similar requests during the opening of Parliament and Budget debates, but to no avail. Despite his efforts, the opposition refused to extend their support citing various reasons, the President’s Media Division said.

The President acknowledged that the current situation is difficult, but assured that the sacrifices made now will lead to benefits in the near future. He emphasizes the importance of working together towards the goal of building a better future for the younger generation by setting aside past criticisms.

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260 go AWOL from police service

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Police Headquarters sources said that 260 people have left the police service this year without officially informing the Police Department.

Sources said that most of them are police constables and sergeants and that many of them have left due to stress, economic hardships, excessive work, undue influence and restlessness.

Orders have been issued to all these people over leaving the police service.

In 2022, 900 police personnel had left the police service.

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Do not treat prisoners like cattle: Magistrate 

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Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis yesterday (21) criticized the practice of bringing a large number of suspects in chains to the court like a herd of cattle.

“No point in having the slogan ‘Prisoners are Human Beings’ if you don’t respect it. From now on, do not bring suspects to court like animals. They should be brought in separately,” the Chief Magistrate said, expressing strong displeasure at the actions of the prison officials.

A large number of suspects, including foreign nationals arrested on suspicion of drug offences, were handcuffed and chained together in a line and produced in the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court for proceedings yesterday.

Source – Aruna

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