First lunar eclipse in over 2 years begins, will last for 5 hours
In India, a partial lunar eclipse will be visible in Agartala, Kolkata, Cherrapunji, Cooch Behar, Imphal, Itanagar, Guwahati, Malda, Kohima, Lumding, Puri, Silchar and Digha.
The Moon started to come under the earth’s shadow on Wednesday as lunar eclipse, the first to take place in over two years, began. A few hours later, the Moon will be fully covered by the Eart, resulting in total lunar eclipse. While the total lunar eclipse will last for about 15 minutes, the entire event will go on for five hours.
The last total lunar eclipse took place on January 21, 2019.
The phenomenon is being called ‘super blood moon’. The moon is at perigee, or the closest point to Earth in its orbit, making it appear about 7% larger than normal and 15% brighter, hence the term ‘super’. Also, since it is passing through the Earth’s shadow, the moon appears red, due to which the phenomenon has been termed “blood moon”.
Additionally, May’s full moon is known as the “Flower Moon” since it occurs when spring flowers are in bloom. The result when taken together is a “Super Flower Blood Moon.”
The eclipse is visible in western North America, with people in Alaska and Hawaii getting the best views. Those living in southern Chile and Argentina can also see it. Skygazers in all of Australia and New Zealand and parts of Southeast Asia can see the eclipse on Wednesday evening.
In India, a partial lunar eclipse will be visible in Agartala, Kolkata, Cherrapunji, Cooch Behar, Imphal, Itanagar, Guwahati, Malda, Kohima, Lumding, Puri, Silchar and Digha. The partial phase of the lunar eclipse will begin at 3.15pm and end at 6.23pm in India, while the total phase will begin at 4.39pm and end at 4.58pm (all times in IST).
Lunar eclipse: Where to watch in India
During a lunar eclipse, the Earth comes in between the Sun and the Moon blocking the direct sunlight that could fall upon the Earth’s natural satellite. This blockage of the sunlight casts the Earth’s shadow on the surface of the Moon. Under a total lunar eclipse, the whole Moon comes under the umbral shadow of the Earth and the partial lunar eclipse occurs when only a part of the Moon comes under the umbral shadow of the Earth.
Unlike a solar eclipse, there’s no harm in looking at an eclipsed moon.
The next lunar eclipse will be visible from India on November 19. It will be a partial lunar eclipse.
