Lunar eclipse 5th July 2020

Another lunar eclipse is here round the corner. This lunar eclipse will take place on July 5, 2020. The eclipse will only be visible from a few parts of the world i.e, South/West Europe, North/South America, Africa, and Antarctica. And according to IST the eclipse will take place in the morning at 9:59 am and will end at 11:22 am.

 Basically, three kinds of eclipses take place that are known as total, partial, and penumbral. This one is a penumbral eclipse just like the last one. When the earth, sun, and moon are not perfectly aligned that’s when it is called a penumbral eclipse. In this type of eclipse, the earth partly blocks the sun’s light reaching the moon. And the only outer shadow of the earth, falls on the moon. 

As it is a penumbral eclipse, it will be hard for watchers to distinguish any difference in the moon. The moon will only appear a little darker and that will be the only differentiating factor. 

The duration of the lunar eclipse will be 2 hours and 45 minutes. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to witness this in India, as it will be day time for us when this lunar eclipse will take place. According to Indian time, the lunar eclipse will start from 8:37 am and will reach its peak at 9:59 am and will end at 11:22 am. 

There are several names given to the moon during eclipses by European and American farming communities. The full moon in July is called Buck moon. Also, the full moon around this time is considered a thunder moon because many thunderstorms take place during this month. 

Since ancient times, eclipses are considered as inauspicious and are always looked upon with fear. In India, even today, people pray during the eclipse and do not eat at all. They also stall all their activities during eclipse time. It is also a tradition to take a bath after the eclipse gets over. 

Scientists have always considered fear regarding eclipses as myths. Because the planets, stars, and meteors move all the time and there is nothing to worry about that. Though, it is dangerous to watch the eclipses with naked eyes. But we can use special glasses through which we can watch eclipses safely.