Where to watch Lunar Eclipse 2018 in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru

New Delhi, July 27: A total lunar eclipse or as we call in Hindi, 'poorna chandra grahan' is all set to take place on the intervening night of July 27 and July 28, 2018. The Moon will disappear into the Earth's darkest shadow, known as the umbra.

This lunar eclipse will also feature the longest blood moon that the Earth has witnessed in 100 years.

Chandra Grahan or Lunar Eclipse Date: July 27-28

Chandra Grahan or Lunar Eclipse Timings: 10:44 pm on July 27 to 4:58 am on July 28 in India

Total Lunar Eclipse Timings: 1 am to 2:43 am on July 27 night (28 July) in India

While the eclipse will begin at 10.44 pm in India (17:14 UTC), the total phase will extend from 1 am to 2.43 am (19:30 to 21:13 UTC).

So, if you plan to watch this natural phenomenon until the very end, you can go to these places:

Delhi:

The total lunar eclipse will be fully visible in Delhi. It will begin at 1am on Saturday morning and ends at 2.43 am. 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 6 hours and 14 minutes. And if you are thinking where to watch this eclipse, well in Delhi, glimpses of the blood red moon can be watched at Nehru Planetarium, which is organising an overnight 'Moon Carnival' starting at 10 pm. Nehru Planetarium is located in the green surroundings of the Teen Murti House, earlier the official residence of India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru and now a museum in his memory.

Mumbai

Residents of Mumbai can go to the Nehru Planetarium to witness the lunar eclipse. Night treks are also available in Mumbai and Delhi if you want to get the best view of the eclipse.

Bengaluru

Bengalureans can also go to Nehru Planetarium to witness the lunar eclipse. The Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium is setting up several telescopes on its premises. People can view the moon between 11.30 p.m and 3 a.m depending on conditions in the sky. One can also opt for popular night trekking destinations like Skandagiri, Sidara Betta and Antara Gange.

Kolkata

Citizens of Kolkata can watch the rare celestial phenomenon at Birla Planetariums. All arrangements have been made in the city to witness the longer lunar eclipse of this century on the night of 27 July.

Chennai

The city is set to witness the longest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century tonight. It is expected to last for 103 minutes. Stargazers can observe the moon being blanketed by the earth's shadow for over six hours that starts from 11.54 pm today to 3.49 am tomorrow. The B M Birla Planetarium in Chennai is making special arrangements for public to experience the eclipse. The event starts by 11.00 pm and goes on till 4.00 am.

However, as the lunar eclipse sighting might be hindered due to pollution, smog and cloud cover, interested people are advised to drive out to the outskirts of their cities to get a clear vision of the Chandra Grahan.

Follow our complete coverage of the Lunar Eclipse 2018: