The first lunar eclipse of this year will be observed today at 8:45 p.m. IST (1515 GMT). As the moon approaches Earth's shadow's outer edge, the lunar eclipse will start.
It will be a "penumbral" lunar eclipse that will be visible in the Eastern Hemisphere, which includes much of Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the islands of Oceania.
A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the penumbra, or lighter part, of Earth's shadow, and sunlight falling on the Moon appears to be partially cut off. The moon remains visible, but with less-than-usual brightness, which means skywatchers will be able to see it.
According to Space.com, the event will reach its peak at 10:54 p.m. IST (1724 GMT), some two hours after beginning, and end at 1:02 a.m. IST (1932 GMT) as the Earth's shadow leaves the moon once again.
The date and time of today's lunar eclipse, also known as Chandra Grahan 2023, is as follows:
- The penumbral lunar eclipse will start at 20:44:11 on May 5.
- The maximum impact of the lunar eclipse will be visible at 22:52:59 on May 5.
- The penumbral lunar eclipse will end at 01:01:45 on May 6.
Which Indian cities will be able to witness the penumbral lunar eclipse today?
All Indian cities, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Varanasi, Mathura, Pune, Surat, Kanpur, Visakhapatnam, Patna, Ooty, Chandigarh, Ujjain, Varanasi, Mathura, Imphal, Itanagar, Kohima, and others will be able to see the celestial phenomenon.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), there are three different types of lunar eclipses: Total lunar eclipses, partial lunar eclipses, and penumbral lunar eclipses.
During a total lunar eclipse, the moon moves into the inner part of Earth's shadow, or the umbra. Some of the sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere reaches the moon's surface, lighting it dimly.
In a partial lunar eclipse, an imperfect alignment of the Sun, Earth and Moon results in the Moon passing through only part of Earth's umbra. The shadow grows and then recedes without ever entirely covering the Moon.
In Penumbral eclipse, the Moon travels through Earth's penumbra, or the faint outer part of its shadow. The Moon dims so slightly that it can be difficult to notice.
