Rare lunar eclipse to grace the sky on May 5 Here what to expect

The entire eclipse will last for 4 hours and 18 minutes, beginning at 8:44 PM IST

Total lunar eclipse | File (File) Lunar eclipse

India will be able to witness a celestial spectacle as the first lunar eclipse of the year takes place on May 5, 2023. The event, also known as Chandra Grahan, will be a penumbral lunar eclipse, where the Moon will darken but not completely disappear as it slips into Earth's outer shadow. The entire eclipse will last for 4 hours and 18 minutes, beginning at 8:44 PM IST and ending at 1:01 AM on May 6, 2023.

During the eclipse, skywatchers in India will be able to see the Moon at its maximum darkening at 10:52 PM. This is a significant event as the last lunar eclipse visible from India occurred on November 19, 2021, and was only a partial eclipse. If the weather is clear, the entire penumbral eclipse will be visible to those in India.

According to NASA, viewers do not need any special equipment to observe a lunar eclipse, although binoculars or a telescope will enhance the view and the red color. The good news is that unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is safe to view with the naked eye as lunar eclipses only reflect sunlight and do not get any brighter than a full moon.

The eclipse will be visible in several parts of the world, including Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and Antarctica. However, it will be completely visible over Asia and Australia, and will be seen rising over Africa and much of Europe, particularly in Eastern and Central Europe.

The May 5 lunar eclipse will be the first of two lunar eclipses in 2023, and it will be the deepest penumbral eclipse since February 2017 and until September 2042. The Moon's apparent diameter will be only 0.1% larger than average because it occurs 5.5 days before perigee, which is on May 11, 2023.

A penumbral eclipse occurs when the Moon passes into the lighter outer region of the Earth's shadow, which is called the penumbra. This area is where the Earth appears to cover part of the sun's disk but not all of it. This means when the Moon is within the penumbra, it receives less light from the Sun and is dimmed but still remains somewhat illuminated. The resulting effect can be barely perceptible and is sometimes only visible in carefully-controlled photographs or by people with extremely acute eyesight.