Total lunar eclipse (chandra grahan) 2022: Check India timings, visibility and other details about the 'Blood Moon'

A total eclipse occurs when Earth passes directly between the moon and the sun and casts a shadow on our cosmic companion. The May 15-16 event will be the first of two total lunar eclipses in 2022.

REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE (CREDITS: NASA)

New Delhi: Sky gazers are in for a treat again as the first total lunar eclipse of 2022, also known as "supermoon", "blood moon" or "flower moon", will take place on May 15-16 intervening night. The moon will be bathed in the reflected red and orange hues of Earth's sunsets and sunrises for about 1-1.5 hours, one of the longest totalities of the decade. It will be the first of the two so-called blood moons in a year.

Total lunar eclipse 2022: Will Chandra Grahan be visible in India?

While it will not be visible in India, skywatchers in the eastern half of North America and all of Central and South America will have prime seats for the whole hour-long show, weather permitting. 

Partial stages of the eclipse will also be visible across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Asia and Australia, however, will be left out. 

If you're not in the viewing area or you're facing cloudy skies, NASA's featuring live streams of the eclipse! https://t.co/nj2bj0YRCF

— NASA Moon (@NASAMoon) May 15, 2022

May's full moon will pass into Earth's shadow, turning a coppery red for those in the viewing area. Here's everything you need to know about the May 15-16 lunar eclipse: https://t.co/MBIsFaM3cW pic.twitter.com/NsqJYkkrRE

— NASA Moon (@NASAMoon) May 11, 2022

When will eclipse 2022 take place?

• Penumbral Eclipse begins at 07:02 AM, May 16
• Partial Eclipse begins at 07:57 AM, May 16
• Full Eclipse begins at 08:59 AM, May 16
• Maximum Eclipse at 09:41 AM, May 16
• Full Eclipse ends at 10:23 AM, May 16
• Partial Eclipse ends at 11:25 AM, May 16
• Penumbral Eclipse ends at 12:20 PM, May 16

Total lunar eclipse 2022: How does it occur?

A total eclipse occurs when Earth passes directly between the moon and the sun and casts a shadow on our cosmic companion. In a total lunar eclipse, the entire Moon falls within the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, called the umbra.

Watch Total lunar eclipse blood moon (Chandra Grahan) 2022 live

When the Moon is within the umbra, it turns a reddish hue. It is because of this phenomenon that Lunar eclipses are sometimes called "Blood Moons". 

++ = a lunar eclipse

On May 15-16th, the full moon will darken, turning coppery red.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align so that the Moon passes into Earth’s shadow.

More about eclipses: https://t.co/Y1NRuisE1j pic.twitter.com/RsiJ8Q0Af5

— NASA Moon (@NASAMoon) May 13, 2022

There may be multiple partial lunar eclipses each year, but total eclipses are a bit rarer. The phenomenon takes place every 1.5 years.

Total lunar eclipse 2022: When will next blood moon take place?

The May 15-16 event will be the first of two total lunar eclipses in 2022 and the second one will take place on November 7-8. Then the next one isn't until 2025.

The length of totality for each of these eclipses is almost identical: 1 hour 24 minutes 50 seconds in May, and 1 hour 24 minutes 54 seconds in November. 

(With agency inputs)