Lunar Eclipse 2024: A Penumbral Lunar Eclipse will occur during the festival of colors, Holi, in 2024. In 2024, we will observe a total of four eclipses. Two of them will be lunar eclipses or Chandra Graham eclipses. The penumbral lunar eclipse will occur around the same time as the Holi festival.
During a lunar eclipse, the Earth creates a shadow across the moon when it is positioned between the sun and the moon. As opposed to solar eclipses, lunar eclipses can occur during a full moon and are popular with skywatchers around the world because they do not require special equipment to observe.
What is the penumbral lunar eclipse?
A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes through Earth’s penumbra or the faint outer part of its shadow. It can be difficult to observe this type of lunar eclipse because it is subtle. Penumbral lunar eclipses aren’t as dramatic as other kinds of lunar eclipses, making them easy to confuse with ordinary full moons.
What is the time and date of the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse?
It is around the same time as the Hindu festival of Holi, which coincides with the first Lunar Eclipse of 2024. Space.com indicates that the Penumbral Eclipse begins at 12:53 am EDT (0453 GMT), reaches its maximum phase at 3:12 am EDT (0712 GMT) several hours later, and ends at 5:32 am EDT (0932 GMT).
As per NASA, the next lunar eclipse will be partial on September 18, 2024, and will be visible in America, Europe, and Africa.
Is the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse visible in India?
According to timeanddate.com, the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse will be visible in America, much of Europe, Australia, Africa, the Atlantic, the Arctic, North and East Asia, and the Pacific.
Also, it will be seen in parts of Ireland, Belgium, Russia, Germany, Japan, Spain, England, South Norway, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Netherlands, and France.
It is recommended not to perform any religious or auspicious work during the Sutak period, nine hours before the Eclipse.
As the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse won’t be seen in India on March 25, the Sutak period won’t be considered valid. Religious exercises and temple doors will not be closed during the Purnima Tithi of Holi, which starts at 9:54 a.m. on March 24 and closes at 12:29 p.m. on March 25.
