The universe is fascinating, with celestial bodies like the Sun, Moon, and Earth constantly moving and creating different events. One such event is the occurrence of eclipses. We mainly know the two prominent types of eclipses - solar and lunar. During a lunar eclipse or chandra grahan, Earth's shadow obscures the Moon. During a solar eclipse, the Moon blocks the Sun from view. Lunar eclipses occur at least twice and a maximum of five times yearly. Penumbral lunar eclipses occur at least twice a year. This year, a particular penumbral lunar eclipse will be visible on March 25, 2024, which coincides with the festival of Holi. And this rare occurrence is happening after 100 years. Let's explore some fascinating facts about Penumbral Lunar Eclipses.

1. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are not perfectly aligned. In this eclipse, the Moon appears slightly dimmer but not as dark or red as during a total or partial lunar eclipse.

2. A penumbral lunar eclipse will occur on March 25, 2024. It will be visible to the naked eye with 95.57% of the Moon in Earth's penumbral shadow.

3. It will rise over Australia and eastern Asia, set over parts of Africa and Europe, and be fully visible from most of the Americas.

4. A particular type of penumbral eclipse is a total penumbral lunar eclipse, during which the entire Moon lies exclusively within Earth's penumbra.

5. Most of the penumbral lunar eclipses lasts for 4 hours and 39 minutes.

6. A tripod-mounted DSLR with a 200mm focal length lens can capture a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse, while a fixed tripod wide-field camera can produce a stunning eclipse sequence.

7. One advantage of all lunar eclipses is that they are safe to observe without any special equipment, unlike solar eclipses. Lunar Eclipse 2024 Date Falls on Holi: Will Holi Chandra Grahan Be Visible in India? Know the Exact Date, Time, Visibility and Other Details.

Lunar eclipses are only a reflection of sunlight, so they don't get any brighter than a full moon. You have probably safely observed a full moon many times before, so observing a lunar eclipse should be just as safe, though one should always check the precautions list once before viewing.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 24, 2024 09:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).