On 26 May 2021, the “most super” of the year’s supermoons, and on top of that, a total lunar eclipse will be visible. In other words, on Wednesday, the Moon will enter Earth’s shadow – and, when the Moon is not in our planet’s shade, it will appear even bigger and brighter than usual.
NASA explains that a lunar eclipse is sometimes called a “blood moon,” but the actual source of the red colour is quite gentle. It is the light that is filtered through all the sunrises and sunsets on Earth.
The sky-gazing enthusiasts amongst us must be looking forward to not only watching the blood moon in eclipse but also capturing the Moon with a camera is one of the most satisfying – and challenging – projects available to an outdoor photographer.
Though we offer no suggestions for making the most of a moonlit night with your camera, we would surely like to help you with details such as when, when and how to watch Wednesday’s blood moon eclipse from India.
Where in India can one watch the eclipse?
The lunar eclipse on Wednesday will not be visible all over India but for a short span of time from the north-eastern parts of India, West Bengal, Odisha and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Ministry of Earth Sciences has informed. Only the partial eclipse, “which takes place as the Moon moves into and out of Earth’s shadow” will be visible in parts of Eastern India, Nepal, western China, Mongolia, and eastern Russia.
India timing (in Indian Standard Time IST) of the eclipse:
May 26: Partial eclipse begins at 3.15 pm and ends at 6.23 pm.
May 26: The total eclipse phase begins at 4.39 pm and ends at 4.58 pm IST.
May 26: Partial eclipse visible from Port Blair from 5.38 pm (for 45 minutes).
May 26: A partial eclipse can be seen in West Bengal’s Malda and Odisha’s Puri at 6.21 pm (for two minutes).
Meteorological Department (IMD) says that in India, just after the moonrise, the partial phase of the eclipse will end in the northeastern parts of India (except Sikkim), parts of West Bengal, some parts of Odisha, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Why cannot we see eclipse all over India and why only partial eclipse in eastern India?
- During the total lunar eclipse, the moon will be much below the eastern horizon, therefore, people cannot see the beginning of this eclipse from the Indian region.
- The total duration of the eclipse is 5 hours, 2 minutes.
- The total duration of the partial phases is 2 hours, 53 minutes.
- The duration of the full eclipse is 14 minutes.
- Skygazers in eastern parts of India can see the final phase of the lunar eclipse that will play out close to the eastern horizon.
This informative video short by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory explains all you wish to know about the eclipse happening on May 26th, 2021.
According to NASA’s website, the total eclipse will be visible near moonset timing in the western continental United States, Canada, Mexico, most of Central America and Ecuador, western Peru, southern Chile and Argentina. Along the Asian Pacific Rim, the total eclipse will be visible just after the moonrise.
Indians can catch Live streaming of the Lunar eclipse here: You can even set reminders on the video site so that you do not miss any part of the Live streaming.