Chandra Grahan or Lunar Eclipse 2018: India time, when and where to watch it

The world will see the longest lunar eclipse in a century over the night of July 27, and the early hours of July 28. During the eclipse, the moon will appear red, giving it the nickname "blood moon."

In a beautiful coincidence, on July 27, Mars will also appear large and bright in the sky as it moves towards its closest approach to Earth in 15 years.

The phenomenon will follow the 'Super Blue Blood Moon' occurred on January 31 which was termed as a once in a lifetime event combining a supermoon, blue moon and blood moon.

Lunar eclipse or Chandra Grahan is a phenomenon when Earth is aligned (falls in a line) directly with the Moon and the Sun, while the orbit of the Moon brings the orb into the Earth's shadow.

The Blood Moon 2018, on the other hand, will last for a longer period than other lunar eclipses this century (one hour and 43 minutes) since Moon will be passing through one of the darkest regions of the Earth's shadow called as 'The Umbra'

Where can Blood Moon be seen?

The blood moon 2018 will be seen in Eastern Hemisphere including Central Asia and Eastern Africa. In India, stargazers can watch it at its Penumbral phase (initial stage).

On July 27 the Sun and Mars will lie opposite to each other with Earth in the middle. This will result in Mars coming close to the Earth, causing it to appear brighter than normal and it will be seen from evening to dawn towards the end of July.

Timings

The total lunar eclipse will be fully visible in Delhi. The penumbral eclipse will begin at 11:44 pm IST followed by a partial eclipse at 11:54 pm.

A total eclipse will start at 1:00 am (July 28). The moon, closest to the centre of the shadow, will showcase the maximum eclipse at 1:51 am.

At 2:43 am, the total eclipse will end. The partial eclipse will start again around 3:49 am.

At 4:58 am, the penumbral eclipse will end. The total duration of the eclipse will be six hours and 14 minutes.

How to watch Blood Moon 2018

You don't need any kind of special equipment in order to see the Blood Moon 2018 on July 27 as it will be visible from the naked eye. However, since the monsoon season has just begun in India, if the weather remains cloudy, you will need a decent set of telescope in order to watch the Blood Moon with details.

Follow our complete coverage of the Lunar Eclipse 2018: