A penumbral lunar eclipse is taking place on the intercepting night of June 5 and June 6. The full moon of June, called the Strawberry moon will be a part of this penumbral lunar eclipse which will be at its peak at 12.54 AM on June 6. A lunar eclipse essentially means that the satellite passes through the earth's shadow. A penumbral eclipse is when it will pass through the outer shadow of the earth called as penumbra. It will be a faint shadow so you may not notice anything different about the moon. But any kind of eclipse has its set of stories, some of which are absolute myths but have been heard and repeated since years. Ahead of penumbral lunar eclipse 2020, we tell you about some interesting tales related to a lunar eclipse. June 2020 Lunar Eclipse FAQs: ‘What Time Is the Lunar Eclipse 2020? To ’What Is the Time for Lunar Eclipse in India?’ Most Asked Questions on the Celestial Event.

    1. Sign of An Apocalypse

      Perhaps the most common associations with eclipse, be it lunar or solar is signalling the end of the world. The source of this comes from the Bible as according to Joel 2:31: "The Sun will turn to darkness, and the Moon to blood before the great and dreadful day of the Lord comes."

    2. Bad Omen for Pregnant Women

      While this may seem from India, a lot of people around the world hold lunar eclipses as a bad omen for pregnant women. They believe that the dark moon will curse an unborn child. Women are also advised to stay away from sharp objects as it could leave a birthmark on the child.

    3. Fight Between Sun and The Moon:

      A tribe in Benin, Africa, sees a lunar eclipse as a fight between the sun and the moon. People thus gather outside chant, sing song and perform dances as a way to encourage reconciliation. They also consider it a time to resolve their own quarrels which the sun and moon are at a fight.

    4. Jaguar Attacking the Moon:

      People from the Inca civilization considered a lunar eclipse as a result of a jaguar's attack on the moon to eat it. To drive the animal away, people would shake spears and make dogs bark at the sky. It was an effort to "scare off" whatever was swallowing the moon.

    5. Multiplication of Deeds:

      Tibetans believe that any kind of deeds done during the period of a lunar eclipse, they will multiply. So they encourage people to engage in good deeds. So some people are encouraged to make donations to receive multiple benefits in return.

    6. Sun and Moon are Procreating:

      In some Australian aboriginal cultures, people believed that the sun and moon are procreating and the stars that appear are there children.

Some of them are so fascinating, right? Did you know of these stories? Don't worry there is no apocalypse coming as we have seen enough of eclipses for years now. Share these myths and tales with your friends ahead of a type of this celestial occurrence.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 04, 2020 09:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).