The first Chandra Grahan in 2023 – All that you must know about the penumbral Lunar Eclipse on May 5, 2023

• Sky gazers in India and other countries are eagerly waiting to watch the first lunar eclipse of 2023.
  
  
• The penumbral lunar eclipse on May 5, 2023 will be seen from Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Antarctica.
  
  
• This will be the deepest penumbral lunar eclipse to be seen from the earth until September 2042.

Eclipses are eagerly watched celestial phenomena since every eclipse is unique, and presents rare views unlike others. Depending on the position of the sun, earth and the moon, different types of eclipses are possible.

The first lunar eclipse of the year and the second eclipse lined up in 2023’s calendar — the lunar eclipse on May 5-6, 2023 follows the total solar eclipse that happened on April 20, 2023. The type of eclipse that the world will watch on May 5, is classified under penumbral lunar eclipse.

What is special about the lunar eclipse on May 5, 2023?

The lunar eclipse on May 5, 2023 is eagerly awaited due to its rarity. The three types of lunar eclipses are — total lunar eclipses, partial lunar eclipses and penumbral lunar eclipses. A penumbral lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes through the thin outermost region of the earth’s shadow known as penumbra, and hence the name.

In a penumbral lunar eclipse, the moon will not be concealed from view like in total and partial lunar eclipses. So, only a subtle darkening of the moon can only be expected during the phase of the eclipse. A penumbral lunar eclipse will not present dramatic views from the earth. In fact, such an eclipse is often mistaken for a regular full moon.

The rarity of the penumbral eclipse on May 5, 2023 is due to the deepness of the eclipse. According to astronomers, the umbral magnitude of this lunar eclipse will be -0.046. This means the moon will be just missing the earth’s inner shadow by a thin margin. Looking at these figures, the upcoming lunar eclipse is said to be the deepest penumbral lunar eclipse to see till September 2042.

Quick facts about the penumbral lunar eclipse on May 5, 2023

The penumbral lunar eclipse will begin at 20:44 on May 5, 2023. The maximum phase of the eclipse can be sighted at 22:52 hours. The eclipse will come to an end at 01:01 am on May 6, 2023. The total duration of the eclipse will be 04 hours 18 minutes.

The magnitude of the eclipse will be -0.046 referring to the portion of the diameter of the moon that the earth‘s umbra will cover. The obscuration will be 0.0% meaning that not an iota of the moon will be concealed from view during the eclipse. The penumbral magnitude will be 0.964 referring to the portion of the diameter of the moon that the earth’s umbra will cover during the maximum phase of the eclipse.