Stargazers, it's time to rejoice as June 2020 brings two major eclipses. If you have always loved watching the phenomenon of the eclipse, then in the first week of June there is a lunar eclipse and towards the end, there would be a solar eclipse. A penumbral lunar eclipse will take place on the intercepting night of June 5 and June 6. Interestingly, it will be the Strawberry Moon eclipse. Strawberry Moon is the full moon of the month of June. Ahead of this celestial event, we give you all details about the timings, places from where you can see it and most importantly what is a penumbral lunar eclipse. Celestial Events 2020 Calendar: List of Lunar and Solar Eclipses in This Year’s Astronomical Calendar.

Date and Time

Penumbral lunar eclipse will begin on the night of June 5 and it will reach maximum eclipse point post-midnight, ie June 6. The eclipse will at 11.15 PM IST, June 5 and continue till 02.34 am June 6. The maximum eclipse will be visible at 12:54 am. The total duration of this lunar eclipse is 3 hours and 18 minutes.

What is Penumbral Lunar Eclipse?

A lunar eclipse means the Earth's shadow is seen on the surface of the moon. It occurs when the Earth is between the sun and the moon. So by blocking the Sun's light to the moon, it casts a shadow on the lunar surface. There are three types of a lunar eclipse- Partial, Penumbral and Total. During a penumbral lunar eclipse, the moon moves from the outer part of the Earth's shadow, but it is a faint appearance. 

Where and How to See?

A lot of people around the world will be able to catch up on this lunar spectacle. The penumbral lunar eclipse will be visible in parts of Europe, most of Asia, Australia, Africa, and parts of South America. So most people in India will also be able to see the lunar eclipse, but it depends on the weather conditions. Since, June is the offset of monsoon clouds in the country, there are chances of cloudy skies. A penumbral lunar eclipse is already a faint appearance. But there would be online live streamings of this event too.

This is the second lunar eclipse of the year. The first was seen in the month of January, which too was a penumbral one. Other than this lunar eclipse, on June 21 there will the annular solar eclipse.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 30, 2020 11:34 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).