JOIN USAll the eyes were on the sky as people tried to get a glimpse of the 'super blue blood moon' on Wednesday evening.
Across the city, sky gazers rushed to rooftops and open areas to witness the celestial event between buildings and trees. The total lunar eclipse, which started around 6.15pm, made the moon appear reddish in colour.
Hundreds of people flocked to the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium to take a get a closer look at the copper-coloured orb. People had started gathering as early as 3 pm, and by 6 pm there were very long queues for the five telescopes and two binoculars available there.
Unable to get a turn at the instruments, many had to satisfy themselves by looking at the sight with their naked eyes.
Children, who accompanied their parents, asked endless questions about the moon and why it was red.
"I saw the sky using a telescope for the first time. It was fascinating and magical. From now on every time I will come here to see the eclipse with my father" said Raksha, a class III student.
Five-year-old Arjun Krishna said that his grandmother had brought him there to see 'chanda mama' who had turned red in colour.
Breakthrough Science Society made arrangements for the public viewing of the celestial phenomenon at nine places in the city such as Attiguppe, Vijayanagar, and Rajajinagar.
"The response was amazing! At many places, there were long queues and it was difficult to manage the crowd. At the Kengeri location, we got more than 800 people, including children, college students and parents," said Bharath Kumar, a member of the society that works to promote scientific temperament.
The society had arranged for telescopes, projectors, and screens for the viewing. Kumar said though they have arranged for public viewings for other such celestial events, this time the response was more than expected.