People in different parts of the world, including India, will be able to witness the first lunar eclipse of 2023 today. It will be a penumbral lunar eclipse where the Moon will enter the outer edge of the Earth's shadow.
When to watch?
The eclipse will occur at 8:45 pm IST (1515 GMT) on May 5 and end at 1:02 am IST (1932 GMT) on May 6. The peak of the event will be observed at 10:54 pm, around two hours after the start of the eclipse, according to Space.com.
Where will the eclipse be visible?
The penumbral lunar eclipse will only be visible in the Eastern Hemisphere. This includes Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa, and the islands of Oceania. Those living in the Western Hemisphere wouldn't be able to observe the event.
In India, the eclipse is expected to be visible from several cities. According to Drik Panchang, the penumbral eclipse will be spotted from 8:45 pm to 1 am in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad among other cities.
What is a penumbral lunar eclipse?
There are three types of lunar eclipses – total lunar eclipse, partial lunar eclipse, and penumbral eclipse, as per NASA. During a penumbral eclipse, the Moon makes its way through the penumbra or the faint outer part of the Earth's shadow. This causes the Moon to dim very slightly making the eclipse hard to observe.
Today, the Sun, Earth and the Moon will get aligned in a straight line where our planet will be positioned in the middle. The Earth will cast a shadow on the surface of the Moon resulting in the penumbral lunar eclipse.
Where to watch?Stargazers residing in regions where the eclipse will be visible can use telescopes and binoculars to catch a glimpse of the event. Others can watch the live streaming of the eclipse on the website or official YouTube channel of The Virtual Telescope Project 2.0.
