The Total Lunar Eclipse will occur on May 26 and is visible in many countries as the Moon turns into a blood moon. However, India will only witness a partial lunar eclipse just after the moonrise in the northeastern states, some parts of West Bengal, some coastal parts of Odisha, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the partial appearance of the lunar eclipse will begin at 3.15 pm in India. The eclipse’s total phase will end at 4.58 pm, while the partial phase ends at 6.23 pm.
The total lunar eclipse takes place when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, preventing the Sun’s rays from reaching the Moon.
What is Lunar Eclipse?
A Lunar eclipse happens at full Moon; when the Moon passes through some portion of Earth’s shadow composed of two cone-shaped elements. While the outer shadow is an area where the Earth blocks part of the Sun’s rays from directly reaching the Moon, the inner or umbral shadow is where the Earth prevents direct sunlight from reaching the Moon.
What is the blood moon?
The Moon’s deep red, orange color during an eclipse combines physics working with Earth’s atmosphere to create the spectacular visual. The sunlight tilts and scatters as it passes through Earth’s atmosphere. Colours at the blue and violet end of the rainbow sprinkle more widely in the air than colours like red and orange. As the red light travels a straighter path through the air, some of this heavily filtered morning and evening light make it through Earth’s atmosphere and reaches the lunar surface illuminating the lunar surface. This phenomenon is also called a Blood Moon as the Moon appears slightly reddish-orange colour.
Where to watch the eclipse in India and the world?
In India, the eclipse will be visible from Agartala, Aizawl, Kolkata, Cherrapunji, Cooch Behar, DiamondHarbour, Digha, Guwahati, Imphal, Itanagar, Kohima, Lumding, Malda, North Lakhimpur, Paradee, Pashighat, Port Blair, Puri, Shillong, Sibsagar, and Silchar.
The total lunar eclipse will be also be seen in East Asia, Australia, the Pacific, and America. It will also be visible from several parts of the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Indian oceans.
According to Nasa, the lunar eclipse will be noticeable near moonset in the US, Canada, Mexico, and several parts of Central America, Ecuador, western Peru, southern Chile, and Argentina. Besides Asian Pacific Rim, the total eclipse will be visible just after the moonrise. Meanwhile, when the Moon enters and exits the Earth’s shadow, the Partial Eclipse will be visible in the eastern United States and Canada.
Besides India, Nepal, western China, Mongolia, and eastern Russia will also observe the partial eclipse.
