“On the night of October 28, India, along with Asia, Europe, and Africa, will have the opportunity to witness a partial lunar eclipse. This celestial event will extend into the early hours of October 29,” explained astrophysicist Debi Prasad Duari. People in West Bengal will also be celebrating Laksmi puja on Saturday night.
Duari further described the eclipse, stating that on October 28, the moon will be partially obscured by the Earth’s shadow, providing an opportunity for people in India to observe a partial lunar eclipse. He clarified that a lunar eclipse occurs when the moon enters the Earth’s shadow, resulting in a darkening of the moon. When the moon partially enters the Earth’s umbral shadow, it’s termed a partial lunar eclipse. A penumbral lunar eclipse, on the other hand, happens when part or all of the moon passes into the Earth’s penumbra, a partially shaded outer region of the shadow.
“The change in brightness is not very pronounced. Following this phase, the moon will partially enter the actual dark portion of the Earth’s shadow, known as an umbral lunar eclipse, which most people consider the actual eclipse,” he added.
Although the penumbral eclipse will commence around 11:31 pm Indian Standard Time (IST) on the night of October 28, the more noticeable partial Umbral eclipse will begin in the early hours of October 29, at approximately 1:05 am IST, he explained. “It will reach its maximum at around 1:44 am and conclude by 2:23 am. The magnitude of the partial lunar eclipse will be approximately 0.12, as indicated by the maximum obscuration of the lunar disc,” the astrophysicist stated.
Duari also mentioned that on October 14, there was an annular solar eclipse visible in most parts of North and South America, featuring the ‘ring of fire’ across a significant portion of the western hemisphere. “However, it occurred at night over Asia, making it invisible to observers here. The day also coincided with a New Moon, marking the commencement of Navratri, a major celebration in India as the start of the Durga Puja Festival,” Duari concluded.
