Chandra Grahan 2023: Last Lunar Eclipse Of The Year To Be Witnessed Tonight, Know India Timings And More

The Lunar Eclipse, also known as Chandra Grahan, is an astronomical phenomenon that occurs when the Earth casts its shadow on the Moon.

Image used for representational purposes only.

Source : Getty Images

Chandra Grahan 2023: The final lunar eclipse of the year will occur on Saturday (October 28). This will be a partial lunar eclipse (penumbral eclipse) visible in India. The eclipse's penumbral phase commenced in India at 2:52 PM, 9 hours before the eclipse.

The Lunar Eclipse, also known as Chandra Grahan, is an astronomical phenomenon that occurs when the Earth casts its shadow on the Moon. These eclipses occur several times a year and are relatively common. They are, however, not always visible from all parts of the globe.

Chandra Grahan 2023 Timing: 

According to Drik Panchang, the lunar eclipse will begin at 1:06 AM on October 29, 2023, on the night of Sharad Purnima. It will end at 2:22 AM. The lunar eclipse will last 1 hour, 16 minutes, and 16 seconds.

At maximum eclipse, the Earth's Umbral shadow would cover only 12% of the Moon due to the partial eclipse of magnitude 0.12. Only sunlight refracted through the Earth's atmosphere will illuminate the portion of the moon inside the Umbral shadow, according to Drik Panchang. The partial eclipse would be visible from the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, Africa, Asia, Europe, most of Australia, and eastern North and South America.

India, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, and Singapore will all be able to see the partial lunar eclipse.

The last lunar eclipse of the year will be visible from all cities in India on October 28, 2023. According to NASA, the next lunar eclipse will occur on March 25, 2024. According to the Times of India, "this celestial event will take place on Sharad Purnima in the month of Ashwina under the zodiac sign Aries."

READ | Sharad Purnima 2023 To Coincide With Chandra Grahan — Know Date, Time, Sutak Kaal And Rituals

While scriptures consider eclipses inauspicious, science views them as astronomical phenomena. It is believed that during a lunar eclipse, one should refrain from performing religious rituals or watching the eclipse with bare eyes.