Chandra Grahan - Total Lunar Eclipse 2025 - Blood Moon:

On March 13-14, 2025, Earth will witness a total lunar eclipse, a breathtaking astronomical event that coincides with the colourful celebration of Holi, making the event more special and memorable. Interestingly, the upcoming total lunar eclipse will showcase a special phenomenon that will be observed in various parts of the world. This phenomenon is called a Blood Moon, during which the Moon will illuminate in a dramatic reddish or orange colour.

Blood Moon and its Phases:

There are five phases to a total lunar eclipse. The Moon first gets dimmed by Earth's outer shadow during the penumbral phase. This phase is followed by the partial phase, during which the Moon moves into the darker central umbral shadow of the Earth. When it gets enclosed in the umbra of the Earth, the Moon illuminates in a reddish light, completing the totality of the eclipse. The following table lists the five phases of the lunar eclipse for a better understanding:

A Blood Moon is the dramatic part of a total lunar eclipse. This occurs when the Earth perfectly aligns with the Sun and the Moon. During this alignment, the Earth projects its shadow on the Moon, blocking most of the sunlight. However, some of the sunlight still reaches the Moon and gets filtered through Earth's atmosphere. This filtered sunlight passes through the atmosphere, leading to the scattering of blue light, which is shorter in wavelength, while the red and orange light, which have longer wavelengths, make it through the Earth's atmosphere. This effect gives the Moon a reddish hue, called a Blood Moon.

Chandra Grahan: When and Where to See

The total lunar eclipse will occur on March 13-14, 2025, and will be visible for more than an hour with the most dramatic phase lasting for 66 minutes, giving plenty of time for skywatchers to enjoy this eerie phenomenon. It will be visible across North and South America, parts of Western Europe, Africa, and the Pacific region.

Will it be visible in India?

The Griffith Observatory in California will broadcast the eclipse from 11:50 PM EDT on March 13 (9:20 AM IST on March 14) to 6:05 AM EDT on March 14 (3:35 PM IST on March 14). You can watch the total lunar eclipse live stream via the embedded Griffith Observatory YouTube video below:

Unfortunately, Indian skywatchers will not be able to witness this celestial display, as the total lunar eclipse will take place during Indian daylight hours. Viewers in India can tune into any of the lunar eclipse live streams to watch the space spectacle. The Adler Planetarium will stream the event from Southern Illinois University Carbondale starting at 10 PM EDT on March 13 or 7:30 AM IST on March 14.

Upcoming Total Lunar Eclipse:

Indian skywatchers need not worry as another total lunar eclipse will occur on September 7-8, 2025, which will be mainly visible across Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The second total lunar eclipse will not be visible to American skywatchers.

Tips for better Lunar Eclipse-viewing

Unlike a solar eclipse, it is safe to view a lunar eclipse with the naked eye. To best experience this astronomical event, just follow these points:

Darker areas: To view the total lunar eclipse, move to a darker area that is not covered with light.

Check the Weather: Make sure that the skies are clear.

Telescope or Binoculars: It would be handy if you use a telescope or a pair of binoculars to view the face of the Moon.

Use long exposure for capturing pictures: You can capture a photo using long exposure to see the colours and patterns of the eclipse.

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