Chandra Grahan 2023: The first lunar eclipse of 2023, which falls on Friday, May 5, 2023, will be a full Moon lunar eclipse, and penumbral. It is the second eclipse this eclipse season, and will be visible in India. During a penumbral lunar eclipse, the Moon travels through Earth's penumbra, or the fainter outer part of the planet's shadow. The Moon just misses the Earth's umbra, which is the darker, inner part of the planet's shadow.
A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth and Moon are imperfectly aligned, and the Earth blocks some of the Sun's light from directly reaching the surface of the Moon.
The Moon comes inside the Earth's penumbra because the former is not located exactly opposite to the Sun.
A total umbral eclipse would have occurred had the Moon been located exactly opposite to the Sun. A total umbral eclipse is one in which the Moon is immersed in the darkest part of Earth's umbra.
The magnitude of the penumbral lunar eclipse of May 5 will be minus 0.046. The more negative the magnitude of an astronomical object, the brighter it is.
According to timeandate.com, the first lunar eclipse of the year will be the deepest penumbral eclipse till September 2042.
When and how to watch the first lunar eclipse of 2023
People in India can watch the penumbral lunar eclipse on May 5 directly in the skies, and also online.
Those interested to watch the first lunar eclipse of the year in the skies must visit a dark area devoid of light pollution. An open field in the outskirts of one's city is the best place to witness astronomical events. An area where there are no lights usually has a clear sky above it.
One must position themselves on the ground, and stare into the clear sky above them for about 15 minutes, in order to adjust their eyes to the dark. The penumbral eclipse will begin at around 8:44 pm IST on Friday, and therefore, people interested in witnessing the event must go to an area having no light pollution about 30 minutes before the eclipse starts.
This will give them more time to adjust their eyes to the dark, and enjoy the spectacle.
However, those living in metropolitan cities might find it difficult to find such a spot. They can watch the lunar eclipse online.
Several YouTube channels will be streaming the eclipse live on May 5. One such channel is called Rocketry Dreamer Live.
Timings of the first lunar eclipse of 2023
The penumbral eclipse will begin at around 8:44 pm IST on May 5, and reach its peak, or the maximum phase at around 10:52 pm IST, according to timeanddate.com.
The penumbral eclipse will last for four hours and 18 minutes, and end at around 1:01 am IST on May 6.
The maximum phase of a lunar eclipse is the point when nearly the entire Moon will be inside the Earth's umbra. Therefore, during the maximum phase, the Moon will not appear like a round cookie from which a bite has been taken out. Instead, the Moon will have a dark shade on it, according to Earth Sky.
ALSO READ | First Lunar Eclipse Of 2023 On May 5: All You Need To Know About The Penumbral Eclipse
Remaining eclipses of 2023
The first lunar eclipse of the year is the second eclipse of the current eclipse season, an approximately 35-day period during which at least two eclipses occur. The first eclipse of the eclipse season, which occurred on April 20, 2023, was a total solar eclipse, and a rare event.
The next solar eclipse will be annular, and will occur on October 14, 2023. A partial lunar eclipse will occur on on October 28 and 29.