Chandra Grahan: The world will be witnessing the penumbral lunar eclipse or Chandra Grahan on Sunday, July 5th, which will be the third eclipse of this year. It is to be noted that the first eclipse occurred on June 5 which was also a  penumbral lunar eclipse, the second one was the annular solar eclipse or the ring of fire eclipse on June 21.

What’s special about this Chandra Grahan as per Hindu calendar?

On Sunday, the full moon of Ashadha is also taking place, as well as the festival of Guru Purnima or Vyas Purnima is also marked today. This is the third consecutive year when the lunar eclipse is being observed on the full moon of Ashadha i.e. Guru Purnima. Before this lunar eclipse was held on Guru Purnima in 2018, 2019.

Also Read: Hindu Religious implications of Chandra Grahan

Timing & visibility

According to Indian time, this eclipse will start at 8.38 am and will end at 11:21 am. However, considering it will be daylight in India the eclipse will not be visible from any part of India. But it will be seen in Australia, Europe, Africa and parts of Asia.

When will be the last lunar eclipse?

The last lunar eclipse of this year will fall in the month of November.

What is a lunar eclipse?

A lunar eclipse is a celestial phenomenon when the Sun Earth and the Moon are aligned perfectly and the earth casts its shadow on the moon. In a penumbral lunar eclipse, the lesser dense part of the shadow (the penumbra) falls on the moon.

If the moon only passes through the outer part of the shadow (the penumbra), a subtle penumbral eclipse occurs.