Lunar Eclipse 2021: Longest Eclipse Of The 21st Century On 19 November, When, Where And How to Watch

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This is the last lunar eclipse of the year and therefore, on 19 November, astronomers and stargazers will get to watch a big celestial treat. It was on 18 February 1440, a lengthy partial eclipse had occurred and on 8 February 2669, a similar one will occur. his phenomenon can be seen across the globe, including northern parts of India. This will be the longest eclipse from 1451 to 2650, which will have 973 such eclipses, mentioned earthsky.org.

A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, but doesn't stay in a perfect line. When a small part of the moon gets covered by the Earth's shadow, we can see a reddish Moon. Therefore, it is also called the frost moon or beaver moon. In November, full moons earned this name as this is the time of first snowfall and frost, and beavers start building their dams or traps.

'A partial lunar eclipse is on the way, taking place overnight on 18 and 19 November, when the Moon slips into Earth's shadow for a couple of hours. Weather permitting, the eclipse will be visible from any location where the Moon appears above the horizon during the eclipse,' said US space agency Nasa.' The overall duration of the eclipse - from the moment the Moon enters Earth's penumbral shadow to the moment it leaves - will be around 21,693 seconds (about 6 hours and 2 minutes). For a non-total lunar eclipse - a lunar eclipse that only has penumbral and partial phases - this is an unusually long duration', it said. This is the longest event within a stretch of 1,000 years.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), 'the partial phase of the eclipse will begin at 12.48 pm and will end at 4.17 pm (on November 19).' The eclipse will be visible in the regions covering western Africa, western Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Australia, the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The Nov 18-19 eclipse is also the last eclipse of any kind this year and the next lunar eclipse will be visible from India on November 8, 2022, and it will be a total lunar eclipse, said IMD sources to TOI.

After the moonrise, the ending of the partial phase of the eclipse will be seen in the northern parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and also in Delhi, even though it is for a short span of time. It will also be seen from western Europe, South America, North America, Asia, Australia, western Africa, the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

People who cannot witness this extraordinary celestial event can watch it on NASA's live stream from their homes.