Lunar Eclipse 2022- Here’s all you need to know

Representational image. Image courtesy: Unsplash_Gaëtan Othenin-Girard/@gatigato

Lunar Eclipse or Chandra Grahan occurs on Purnima tithi, according to the Hindu calendar. The first Lunar Eclipse of 2022 takes place today, on 16 May. During this Lunar Eclipse or Chandra Grahan, people will witness a blood moon or the red coloured moon. The eclipse will be visible in North and South American countries, West Africa, and a few other countries in the Middle East. However, it will not be visible in India. The first Lunar Eclipse or Chandra Grahan will be effective for 5 hours and 17 minutes. It will begin at 7:02 am on 16 May and will end at 12:20 pm. The year, 2022, will see a total of two lunar eclipses. While the first one will be visible today, the second one will occur on 8 November.
A lunar eclipse takes place when the Sun and the moon are on the opposite sides of the Earth exactly. The Earth blocks the sunlight from reaching the moon, which then casts a shadow on the lunar surface.
There are three types of the lunar eclipse, namely, total lunar eclipse, partial lunar eclipse, and Penumbral lunar eclipse.

During a partial lunar eclipse, the earth’s shadow will look dark on the side of the moon which is facing the earth. However, it is during a total lunar eclipse that the lunar surface takes a red colour, thereby earning the name ‘blood moon’.

Do’s and Dont’s during Lunar Eclipse-
1. People should never watch it with bare eyes
2. Don’t allow children to watch it alone
3. As per belief, people should not consume solid food items.