It seems like 2020 is the year, you would stargaze. Many celestial events are scheduled for the next 12 months. There are four penumbral lunar eclipses in 2020; the first one will grace the sky on January 10. According to media reports, the eclipse will last four hours and five minutes. Not all places across the world will be fortunate enough to view this year’s first full wolf moon eclipse. But those who can, will surely witness the greatest celestial experience. In this article, we have provided all the information related to Penumbral Lunar Eclipse (Chandra Grahan) of January 2020. The date, time and places where you enjoy this grand event is detailed here.
What Is A Penumbral Lunar Eclipse?
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, blocking some or all of the Sun’s rays to reach the Moon. A penumbral lunar eclipse happens when the Sun, Earth and the Moon are imperfectly aligned. In this case, the Earth blocks some of the Sun’s light from directly reaching the Moon’s surface and covers all or part of the Moon with the outer part of its shadow, which is also called the penumbra. It appears more of a ‘grey moon’ and often known as the ‘Wolf Moon’ eclipse.
Penumbral Lunar Eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Date and Time:
According to Universal Time, the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse will occur on January 10, 2020, from 17:07 to 21:12. About 90 percent of the Moon’s disc will be partially shaded by the Earth, which will cause a slight shadow gradient across its disc. No part of the Moon will be in complete shadow. The eclipse will last 4 hours and 5 minutes.
Penumbral Lunar Eclipse 2020: Places to View
The mainland United States will not be able to view this year’s first Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. According to media reports, the full Moon will come during the country’s daylight hours. The Wolf Moon Eclipse 2020 will be visible across Asia, Australia, Europe and Africa.
Unlike Solar, eclipses of the Moon can be observed all across the night side of the Earth, when the event occurs. The rays are not harmful, and one can see witness the celestial event with naked eyes. The next Lunar Eclipse is slated to be held on June 5, 2020.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 02, 2020 07:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).