Stargazers will witness a partial lunar eclipse on July 16 and July 17, with people in India getting to watch the celestial event on July 17. Partial lunar eclipse, as the name suggests, takes place when the shadow of Earth covers only a small part of the Moon and as a result, only a minor section of the moon appears dark. The upcoming lunar eclipse will be the last one to happen in 2019 and it will be visible in a majority of Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America. Here's everything you need to know about Partial Lunar Eclipse 2019.

Partial lunar eclipse date, time

As mentioned above, the partial lunar eclipse will be visible in the majority of Asian nations, including India. The people living in the western and central region of India will witness the entire event, while those living in the eastern regions will get to see the partial lunar eclipse at moonset time in the wee hours.

The Moon will enter the penumbra on July 17 at 12:28 am NST and will enter the umbra region at 1:46 am NST. The intensity of the partial lunar eclipse will be highest (the time at which at the largest chunk of moon will be covered by Earth's shadow and thus, will appear dark) at 3:15 am NST.

The Moon will leave the umbra region at 4:44am NST, which also marks the end of the partial lunar eclipse. The Moon will exit the penumbra region at 5:47am IST, as per NASA's data. The total eclipse duration will be 2 hours, 57 minutes and 56 seconds.

July 16 Partial Lunar Eclipse: Facts and figures

As mentioned above, the partial lunar eclipse that will be visible on July 17 (July 16 in some regions of the globe) will be the last lunar eclipse – partial or global – that will happen in 2019. The only other lunar eclipse recorded this year was witnessed in January and it was a total lunar eclipse.

As for the July 17 partial lunar eclipse, the penumbral magnitude will be 1.7037 and the umbral magnitude will be 0.653. As per the eclipse map released by NASA, the event won't be visible in North America and Greenland.

What is a partial lunar eclipse?

When the Earth comes in between the Moon and the Sun and casts its shadow over the Moon, cutting off its source of illumination and making parts of it appear dark, the event is caused a lunar eclipse. When the Moon is fully covered by Earth's shadow, it is called a full lunar eclipse, but when only a small portion of the moon appears dark due to incomplete overlapping, it is called a partial lunar eclipse.

Special Significance of lunar eclipse 2019

The partial eclipse happening tomorrow is a little special for people in India as it marks a coincidence happening after 149 years. The Guru Purnima celebrated in India will happen on the same day as the upcoming partial lunar eclipse for the first time after a span of 149 years. And if you believe in astrology, this coincidence can be of special religious significance.

Nepali Celebrates Guru Purnima Or Vyasa Purnima

Today is Guru Purnima which is also celebrated as Vyasa Purnima as this day marks the birth anniversary of Guru Veda Vyasa, who is generally considered the author of the Mahabharata.

Guru Purnima, also known as Vyasa Purnima, is celebrated on full moon day or Purnima of the Shukla Paksh or the waxing moon in the Ashadha month of the Hindu calendar. As the name denotes, the day is dedicated to gurus or teachers. On Guru Purnima, the students worship their gurus or teachers, by offering puja and paying respect to them.

In the ancient Hindu texts, Gurus had a great significance in a disciple’s life. Gurus refer to the spiritual guide who enlightens disciples by his knowledge and teachings. Guru Purnima is also celebrated as Vyasa Purnima as this day marks the birth anniversary of Guru Veda Vyasa, who is generally considered the author of the Mahabharata.

Guru Purnima or Vyasa Purnima is celebrated in the Ashadha month of the Hindu calendar on the Purnima or the full moon day of the Shukla Paksh or the waxing moon. This year, the festival will be celebrated on Tuesday, July 16.

The Guru Purnima Tithi will begin at 01:48 am on Tuesday, July 16, and will end at 03:07 am on July 17. Interestingly, July 17 will also the mark the partial Lunar Eclipse 2019 or Chandra Grahan 2019 in Nepal.

Source: Agencies