In a rare occurrence, October is about to experience its second eclipse on October 29th. This Lunar eclipse will happen just 14 days after the Solar eclipse on October 14th.
What is a Lunar Eclipse?
According to NASA, Lunar eclipses take place during a full moon. When the Earth aligns precisely between the Moon and the Sun, the Earth’s shadow is cast on the Moon’s surface, causing it to darken and sometimes taking on a striking reddish hue over several hours. Each lunar eclipse can be observed from half of the Earth.
What is a Partial Lunar Eclipse?
A Partial Lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth moves between the full moon and the sun.
Date of the Partial Lunar Eclipse:
According to the Ministry of Science, a partial lunar eclipse will occur on October 28-29, 2023 (6-7 Kartika, 1945 Saka Era). Although the Moon will enter the penumbra on the midnight of October 28th, the umbral phase will commence in the early hours of October 29th.
Will the Partial Lunar Eclipse be visible in India?
The eclipse will be visible in a region that includes the Western Pacific Ocean, Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa, eastern South America, northeastern North America, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the South Pacific Ocean, as stated by the PIB release.
The Partial Lunar Eclipse will be visible from all parts of India around midnight. The umbral phase of the eclipse will start at 01:05 AM IST on October 29th and will end at 02:24 AM IST. The eclipse will last for 1 hour and 19 minutes with a very small magnitude of 0.126.
When is the next Lunar eclipse?
According to the PIB statement, the next lunar eclipse will be a Total Lunar Eclipse visible from India on September 7, 2025. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the entire moon falls under the Earth’s umbral shadow. The last lunar eclipse witnessed in India was on November 8, 2022, which was a total eclipse.
