NASA Explains the stages of November 19 Lunar Eclipse

• The most unique one of its kind, the lunar eclipse happening on November 19, 2021 is going to be a special one.
  
  
• While there could be 2 to 3 lunar eclipses in a year, the one occurring on this day will be the longest in 1,000 years.
  
  
• As sky gazers await to see this rarest lunar eclipse, NASA has explained how this eclipse will look like in its different stages.

Sky viewers are gearing up for one another lunar eclipse to happen on November 19, 2021. This is the second and the last lunar eclipse in the year. The spectacular astronomical event will stage itself on November 19 from 12:48 PM to 4:17 PM (IST). The duration of 3 hours 28 minutes and 24 seconds makes this the longest partial lunar eclipse in 580 years. Also, one of such long lunar eclipses in general has not happened in the past 1,000 years.

As this eclipse triggers our imaginations, NASA explains the stages of the November 19 lunar eclipse. The following chart explains the different stages of the eclipse in timeline. The time given is in UTC (Universal Time Coordinated) and IST (Indian Standard Time).

Stages of November 19 Lunar Eclipse

UTC	IST	Stage of the eclipse	Description of the stage
6:02	11:32	Penumbral eclipse commences	The Moon gets into the penumbra (outer part of the shadow) of the earth. The moon’s brilliance dulls in a subtle way.
7:19	12:49	Partial eclipse starts	The Moon starts entering the umbra of the earth and the partial eclipse starts. The moon is seen moving into the umbra and the viewers see it as though a bite has been taken out from the moon. The part of the moon lying inside the umbra looks much darker.
8:45	02:15	Moon becomes red in color	About 95% of the Moon’s disk has gone into the umbra and the Moon gets a reddish color. This color change will be easier to watch through a binocular or telescope.
9:03	02:33	Eclipse peaks	The eclipse event attains its peak. Around this time, the moon becomes extremely red in color.
9:20	02:50	Red color does not appear	The moon’s redness fades and less than 95% of the Moon is now into the umbra of the earth. The scene looking like a bite taken away from the moon repeats now, but in the opposite side.
10:47	04:17	Partial eclipse closes	The whole of the moon is seen into the penumbra of the earth and the moon dims in its brilliance. Nevertheless, the difference is very subtle.
12:04	05:34	Penumbral eclipse closes	The eclipse has ended.

This partial lunar eclipse can’t be viewed from most parts of India. To be able to watch it, you must be present in Assam or Arunachal Pradesh when the eclipse happens. The best view of this lunar eclipse can be had from all parts of the US, Northern Europe, East Asia, Australia, and Pacific Ocean. If you feel you are missing out the fantastic view of the eclipse, no worries, you can as well watch the live streaming of the event on different channels to glance at it in real time or watch the videos even after the eclipse is over.