Lunar Eclipse on Holi
One of the biggest festivals in India, Holi, falls on the same day as this year’s first lunar eclipse, a breathtaking astronomical event in which the moon falls into Earth’s shadow. It is anticipated that there will be a Penumbral lunar eclipse on March 25. The moon will briefly cast a shadow across the night sky, but this will coincide with the colorful celebration of Holi, the festival of colours.
Timing of Lunar Eclipse 2024
According to Space.com, the penumbral lunar eclipse will begin at 10:24 AM Indian Standard Time (IST), reach its maximum at 12:43 PM IST, and conclude by 3:01 PM IST.
”As the full moon rises during the late evening of March 24 into the early morning hours of March 25, it will travel through the Earth’s penumbra, or the faint outer part of its shadow. This is called a penumbral eclipse,” a NASA blog reads.
Will Indians be able to see it?
All of North and South America will still be able to see the penumbral eclipse, but Indians won’t be able to see it. Parts of Ireland, Belgium, Spain, England, South Norway, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Germany, the United States, Japan, Switzerland, Netherlands, and France will be able to see the lunar eclipse.
Will it affect the Holi celebrations?
It’s unclear how the sutak period will affect the rituals because the lunar eclipse falls during the Holi celebrations. Thankfully, that will not be the case. There is no need to observe the sutak period since the eclipse will not be visible in India. During the auspicious muhurta, Holi rituals and puja can proceed without any hindrance.
What is a penumbral lunar eclipse?
According to NASA, there are three different kinds of lunar eclipses: total, partial, and penumbral. The Moon passes through the penumbra, or the dim outer region of the Earth’s shadow, during a penumbral eclipse. This results in a very slight dimming of the Moon, making the eclipse difficult to see.
During the phenomenon, our planet will be positioned in the center of a straight line formed by the Sun, Earth, and Moon. The penumbral lunar eclipse will occur when the Earth’s shadow falls on the Moon’s surface. As per NASA, the next lunar eclipse will be partial and will occur on September 18, 2024, and will be visible in America, Europe, and Africa.
