For the first time in 580 years, India will witness the longest partial lunar eclipse on Friday.
The duration of the eclipse will be 3 hours 28 minutes and 24 seconds, making it the longest in 580 years.
The longest partial lunar eclipse will be visible from parts of Northeast India. The lunar eclipse, the last of 2021, will be the longest since the 15th century. The last time an eclipse this long happened was on 18 February 1440.
The longest partial lunar eclipse will occur on 19 November and will start at 12.48 pm and end at 4.17 pm.
Will Lunar Eclipse 2021 be visible in India?
It will be visible in India at 2.34 pm as 97 percent of the moon will be covered by the Earth’s shadow. The rare phenomenon will be visible from a few areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
Director of Research and Academic at MP Birla Planetarium Debiprosad Duari said: “A few areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam will experience the last fleeting moments of the partial eclipse just after the moonrise, very close to the eastern horizon.”
Lunar Eclipse 2021: Duration
The duration of the eclipse will be 3 hours 28 minutes and 24 seconds, making it the longest in 580 years.
What is a lunar eclipse?
A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth comes in between the Moon and the Sun. While a total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon and Sun are on opposite sides of Earth, a partial lunar eclipse happens when only part of Earth’s shadow covers the Moon. Meanwhile, when the Moon travels through the faint penumbral portion of Earth’s shadow, a penumbral lunar eclipse happens.
The partial Lunar eclipse will be visible from North America, South America, eastern Asia, Australia, and the Pacific region.
What will happen on November 19 lunar eclipse
The moon is likely to appear blood-red in color, which happens when the red beams of the sunlight pass through the Earth’s atmosphere and get least deflected and fall on the moon.
The last time a partial lunar eclipse of such length occurred was on February 18, 1440, and the next time a similar phenomenon can be witnessed will be on 8 February 2669.
