Penumbral Lunar Eclipse 2023 Highlights: Chandra Grahan in India

The penumbral lunar eclipse was seen over the Nepali sky on the full moon day.The lunar eclipse started at 8:59 PM (Local Time) on Friday and will continue till 1:16 AM (Local Time) Saturday.

Stargazers in Asia and Australia had the best seats for the year's first lunar eclipse. The four-hour eclipse got underway late Friday or early Saturday, depending on the location, as the moon slipped into the fringes of Earth's shadow.

Penumbral lunar eclipse begins in India and can be seen till 1:01am, May 6. You can enjoy the special celestial event for another 4 hours.

There are several myths and misconceptions associated with lunar eclipses. In many societies, it is said that pregnent women should stay indoors during lunar eclipse. People are also advised to avoid meals during ther eclipse and also not take bath. Physicists, however, debunk all the myths associated with lunar eclipse.

Buddha Purnima's full moon coincides with penumbral lunar eclipse on May 5. You can watch the ongoing celestial event till 1:01 am, May 6.

Chandra Grahan begins in India. Stay tuned for live updates.

Full moon captured in the background of Gautam Buddha's statue in Lucknow's Gomti Nagar area on Buddha Purnima. Penumbral lunar eclipse is about to begin starting from 8:44 pm IST

Penumbral lunar eclipse starts when the penumbral part of Earth's shadow starts moving over the Moon. It is not easy to see this phase of the eclipse with naked eye. Penumbral eclipse ends when Earth's shadow completely moves away from the Moon.

Penumbral lunar eclipse is one of the three types of lunar eclipse when only the more diffused outer shadow of the Earth – the penumbra – falls on the moon’s face. This eclipse is considered much more subtle, and much more difficult to observe than the other two types -- total or partial eclipse.

May's full moon is also called flower moon due to the abundance of flowers during spring time. Planting moon, hare moon, milk moon are some of the other names given to it. This year flower moon is coinciding with penumbral lunar eclipse.

India to witness the first lunar eclipse of the year in less than an hour on 8:44 pm. You don't need any special equipment to watch a lunar eclipse. Binoculars or a telescope will help enhance the view.

The next lunar eclipse is scheduled for October 28-29 this year. It will be a partial lunar eclipse. It will be visible in Europe and most of Asia and Africa, and will be seen rising over the extreme eastern Americas, and setting over Australia.

Keep your binocular ready! Penumbral Lunar eclipse will be visible in India in two hours, starting 8:44 pm. It will end at 1.01 am on May 6 giving people a little more than 4 hours to enjoy the celestial event.

In a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse, the Moon passes into the lighter outer region of the Earth's shadow, called the Penumbra. This is an area where the Earth appears to cover part of the Sun's disk but not all of it. This means when the Moon is within the Penumbra, it receives less light from the Sun and is dimmed but still remains somewhat illuminated. This type of eclipse could easily be mistaken for a regular full moon.

It is safe to directly view the penumbral lunar eclipse although it would be tough to spot with naked eye. It is advised to use telescopes or binoculars to improve the visibility. In India, you can watch it 8:44 pm onwards on May 5; the eclipse will reach its maximum point at 10:52 pm. It will be visible till 1:01 am on May 6.

New Delhi: 8:44 pm (May 5) to 1:01 am (May 6)

Mumbai: 8:44 pm (May 5) to 1:01 am (May 6)

Gurugram: 8:44 pm (May 5) to 1:01 am (May 6)

Hyderabad: 8:44 pm (May 5) to 1:01 am (May 6)

Bengaluru: 8:44 pm (May 5) to 1:01 am (May 6)

Chennai: 8:44 pm (May 5) to 1:01 am (May 6)

Kolkata: 8:44 pm (May 5) to 1:01 am (May 6)

Bhopal: 8:44 pm (May 5) to 1:01 am (May 6)

Chandigarh: 8:44 pm (May 5) to 1:01 am (May 6)

Patna: 8:44 pm (May 5) to 1:01 am (May 6)

Ahmedabad: 8:44 pm (May 5) to 1:01 am (May 6)

Visakhapatnam: 8:44 pm (May 5) to 1:01 am (May 6)

Guwahati: 8:44 pm (May 5) to 1:01 am (May 6)

Ranchi: 8:44 pm (May 5) to 1:01 am (May 6)

Imphal: 8:44 pm (May 5) to 1:01 am (May 6)

Itanagar: 8:44 pm (May 5) to 1:01 am (May 6)

While eclipses usually have a religious significance in Hinduism, as per drikpanchang.com, penumberal lunar eclipse will not be considered for religious activities as it is not visible to the naked eye and hence no specific riuals need to be performed around Chandra Grahan.

The first lunar eclipse of the year coincides with Buddha Purnima, the birth anniversary of Gautam Buddha observed every year on full moon day in the month of Vaisakh. The day is celebrated by Hindus and Buddhists around the world.

While viewing most lunar eclipses requires little efforts, a penumbral lunar eclipse could be much harder to spot. This is because, in a penumbral lunar eclipse, the moon passes through the fainter, outer part of Earth's shadow. The eclipsed moon in this case can look like a regular full moon.

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