Lunar Eclipse 2025: Skywatchers across India were treated to a celestial spectacle on Sunday night as the country witnessed its longest total lunar eclipse since 2022. Astronomers said this was the first time since July 27, 2018, that an entire total eclipse of the Moon could be observed from every part of India.
The rare event will not return anytime soon. “You will have to wait until December 31, 2028, for the next one,” said Divya Oberoi, chair of the Public Outreach & Education Committee of the Astronomical Society of India (ASI) and Associate Professor at the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Pune.
Lunar eclipses are relatively uncommon, do not occur at every full or new moon. This is because the Moon’s orbit is tilted about five degrees compared to the Earth’s path around the Sun. A total lunar eclipse takes place only when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow over the lunar surface.
The eclipse was visible from various parts of India, including Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Jaipur, and Delhi.
The eclipse is visible to the naked eye, and no special equipment is required to watch it as the moon does not emit any light of its own, said Senior Planetarium Engineer at Nehru Planetarium, O.P. Gupta. "Therefore, observing it causes no harm. If it were a solar eclipse, the ultraviolet rays could damage a person’s eyes, potentially causing complete blindness. But a lunar eclipse can be viewed safely by everyone without any fear...," he added.
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