NEW DELHI: A total lunar eclipse will grace skies across the country on Tuesday evening, coinciding with Holi celebrations. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the eclipse will unfold between 3.20pm and 6.48pm (IST). The “total phase”, when the Moon is completely submerged in Earth’s umbral shadow, will occur from 4.34pm to 5.33pm. However, many places will miss the full drama of totality because the event begins before moonrise.
Catching the final act
In the Tricity region, the Moon will rise already wearing a fading veil of Earth’s shadow. By moonrise, the total phase will have ended, leaving residents to witness only the final umbral phase — as the Moon slowly steps out of the Earth’s inner shadow for a brief but striking display just after sunset.
Hyderabadis to miss out on ‘blood moon’
In Hyderabad and several parts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, skywatchers will also see only the closing stages. Hyderabad’s moonrise is expected at 6.22pm, by which time the Moon will already be moving out of Earth’s umbra (the darkest part of the shadow) and penumbra (the lighter outer shadow).
While the so-called “blood moon” — when the Moon turns a deep reddish hue — will be visible in the Pacific region and parts of the northeast, southern observers will largely miss the peak.
Kolkata: Around half an hour of visibility
In Kolkata, the Moon is set to rise at 6.17pm. According to the IMD’s Positional Astronomy Centre in Kolkata, residents will be able to see the eclipse for about 31 minutes after moonrise, until the end of the umbral phase at 6.48pm. Cities in eastern parts are expected to get longer viewing windows. Cuttack will have up to 58 minutes of visibility after its 5.50pm moonrise, followed by 57 minutes in Bhubaneswar and Hazaribagh after 5.51pm, and 56 minutes in Gaya after 5.52pm. Another estimate suggests viewers in Kolkata could have a longer window. “According to astronomical predictions, the moonrise in Kolkata is scheduled for 5.39 pm. The eclipse will still be in progress during that time, allowing residents to see the moon emerge from the horizon,” said Bipash Das Gupta, scientific officer, MP Birla Institute of Fundamental Research. “The totality phase will be followed by the umbral phase, which will continue until 6.48 pm. This will allow viewers in Kolkata to witness the rare celestial event for about an hour and nine minutes as the Moon will gradually return to its usual brightness.”
Timings in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru
In cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, a partial lunar eclipse will be visible between 5.38pm and 7.53pm, according to astronomical tracking platform Time and Date. Though not everyone will see the Moon at its deepest red, many will still catch at least the closing moments of one of the year’s most anticipated celestial events.
