First partial lunar eclipse of the year on Monday

Skygazers and astronomy enthusiasts in India will be having a wonderful opportunity to experience a celestial phenomena on Monday night. Starting from 10.52 pm, the full moon will be entering the Earth's shadow in space and create a spectacular phenomenon which is commonly known as Partial Lunar Eclipse. The eclipse will continue till 00:48 am.

"The greatest eclipse i.e when the Moon will be covered to the maximum extent, partially will be around 11.50 pm. The duration will be around 1 hour 55 minutes. This is the first properly

visible lunar eclipse of this year. On February 11 this year, there was a Penumbral Eclipse of moon but since it is an event where the moon passes not through the direct shadow of the earth but through its periphery, it could not be discernible by most of the population," Dr Debiprosad Duari, Director, Research & Academic, M P Birla Planetarium, Kolkata said.

The Partial Lunar Eclipse this time will be visible from whole of Asia and Australia and most parts of Europe and Africa. People in North and South America will be not be able to observe because it will be daytime there when the eclipse will be in progress. In India, the eclipse will be visible from every place. For Kolkata, the moonrise will be at around 5.58 pm and it will be setting at 4.34 am next day.

The next lunar eclipse will be on January 31, 2018 and it will be a complete lunar eclipse. It will also be visible from all parts of the Indian sub-continent. "It is completely safe to view with the naked eyes. No special filters are required to protect the eyes like those used for solar eclipses. A good pair of binoculars will enhance the experience," Duari said.

He, however, did not rule out the possibility of overcast sky due to monsoon that may pose as a barrier for observing this phenomena.