Lunar eclipse 2020 today: Check timings in india, when and where to watch Chandra Grahan

Lunar eclipse 2020: The first celestial event of 2020- the penumbral lunar eclipse will occur tonight at 10.37 pm. The penumbral lunar eclipse will last for more than an hour. The lunar eclipse or 'Chandra Grahan' will end at around 2:42 am of January 11.

In this lunar eclipse, the moon is also known as "Wolf Moon" as it will coincide with the full Moon. A full Moon occurs once every 29.5 days, appearing halfway through the lunar cycle.

This lunar eclipse on Friday will be the first of four penumbral lunar eclipses that will take place this year, the other three penumbral lunar eclipses will occur on June 5, July 5 and November 30, respectively.

Also read: Lunar Eclipse 2020: Date, timing in India, where to watch Chandra Grahan tomorrow

In the year 2020, six eclipses will occur--four lunar eclipses--on January 10, June 5, July 5 and November 30 and two solar eclipses--June 21 and December 14. An annular solar eclipse will take place on June 21 and will be seen in India. Total solar eclipse would occur on December 14, which will not be visible in India as it will occur during the night in the country.

What is a lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan)?

In a normal lunar eclipse, the moon passes through the central part of the earth's shadow called the umbra, and one can see a considerable darkening of the lunar disc.

What is a penumbral lunar eclipse?

A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, earth and moon align in an almost straight line. The earth blocks some of the sun's light from directly reaching the moon's surface, and covers a small part of the moon with the outer part of its shadow, also known as the penumbra. During this time almost 90 per cent of the moon will be covered by the partial shadow region of the Earth.

When and where to watch penumbral lunar eclipse in India?

In India, the penumbral lunar eclipse will start from 10:37 pm on January 10 night. The full visual impact of the Chandra Grahan could be seen at around 12:41 am. During this time almost 90 per cent of the moon will be covered by the partial shadow region of the Earth.

In Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and other northern states of India, the penumbral lunar eclipse will not be visible much due to clouds, cold weather, rain and snowfall. However, people living in southern India will be able to view it better. However, it would be difficult to see the impact of the eclipse on the Moon through the naked eye.