India To Witness Total Lunar Eclipse on 8 November - Everything You Need To Know
A lunar eclipse is caused by the moon falling into the Earth's shadow in either a partial or total eclipse.
advertisement
India will witness a total lunar eclipse on 8 November, the Ministry of Earth Science said. This will be the last total lunar eclipse visible from India till 2025.
Where can you watch the lunar eclipse? What causes a lunar eclipse? And what do you need to know about safely viewing a lunar eclipse?
What Causes A Lunar Eclipse?
Also called a 'blood moon' or chandra grahan, a lunar eclipse occurs when the moon falls into the Earth's shadow. There are two kinds of lunar eclipses:
Partial lunar eclipse
Total lunar eclipse
A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the moon partially falls into or passes through the Earth's shadow. In a total lunar eclipse, the moon enters the darkest part of the Earth's shadow.
As the Moon falls into this part, which is also called the Umbra i.e., the center of the Earth's shadow, it darkens significantly. Once it's entirely within the umbra, the Moon appears red because of sunlight scattered through the Earth's atmosphere.
Safety Not Required?
Unlike a solar eclipse, you can safely view a lunar eclipse with the naked eye, or better, a telescope or pair of binoculars.
When Can I See The Eclipse From My City?
The lunar eclipse will begin at 2.40 pm IST on 8 November. The total eclipse will commence at 3.46 pm IST. The total eclipse will end at 5.12 pm and the partial phase will conclude at 6.19 pm IST, according to the Ministry of Earth Science.
The Ministry of Earth Science adds that cities in eastern parts of the country, like Kolkata and Guwahati will witness the total phase of the eclipse at the time of Moonrise.
For other cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bengaluru, the partial eclipse will be in progress during moonrise.
Here's a short list of when moonrise is for different cities on 8 November, so you can watch the lunar eclipse:
Ahmedabad - 5.56 pm
Amritsar - 5.33 pm
Bengaluru - 5.50 pm
Bhopal - 5.36 pm
Chennai - 5.39 pm
Delhi - 5.29 pm
Hyderabad - 5.40 pm
Kolkata - 4.52 pm
Here's the full list of cities and timings to watch the total lunar eclipse on 8 November.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)