Lunar Eclipse 2021 Live: Check out live updates from the rare total lunar eclipse and supermoon event. (File)Lunar Eclipse 2021 Today Live Updates: The Moon will be the closest to Earth on May 26 and will hence, mark the largest full Moon appearance of the year, also known as the Super Moon. However, the supermoon of May 26, 2021, is even more special as it also coincides with this year’s only total lunar eclipse, which is the first total lunar eclipse since January 2019. The two celestial events are taking place together and this is also called as a Super Blood Moon.
What exactly will you see on May 26?
Since it is a supermoon, which is essentially a Full Moon at its closest point to Earth, we will be seeing a larger Full Moon than usual. However, since it is also a total lunar eclipse on the same day, we will be later seeing the Moon in its glowy red tone. So this is a Super Blood Moon.
The red colour comes from the Earth blocking out most of the Sun’s light from reaching the moon and filtering out the remaining light to give the Moon its glowy red ‘total lunar eclipse’ shade.
Who can watch the Total Lunar Eclipse?
This year’s first total lunar eclipse will start at 2:17 pm as per Indian Standard Timing (IST) and be visible until 7:19 pm. While observers all over the world will be able to view the Supermoon throughout the night if the sky is clear, the eclipse will be visible in East Asia, Australia, the Pacific, and Americas
The lunar eclipse, NASA says, will be more difficult to observe. The partial eclipse, which is when the moon moves into and out of Earth’s shadow will be visible from India, Nepal, western China, Mongolia, and eastern Russia just after the Moon rises in the evening. But India will not get to see the total eclipse.
So we can't experience the total lunar eclipse in India, but NASA has a very cool graphics which you can try out to see a telescopic view of tonights Super Blood Moon eclipse. The graphics will show a telescopic view of what the moon will look like at various phases. Trying entering different times and hit update to see what the experience will be like if you were actually viewing the total eclipse.
The total lunar eclipse is not visible in India. Only parts of India will get to see the partial eclipse, but the Supermoon should be visible if the skies are clear.
The total lunar eclipse will be visible in western continental United States, Canada, all of Mexico, Central America and Ecuador, western Peru, and southern Chile and Argentina. The partial eclipse, which takes place as the Moon will be visible in Nepal, western China, Mongolia, and eastern Russia just after the Moon rises in the evening, along with India.
Finally, those who live in eastern Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, including Hawaii, will see both the total and the partial eclipse, according to NASA.
During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth blocks all sunlight from reaching the moon, but some sunlight does manage to hit the lunar surface, but it is heavily filtered red light.
As NASA explains, sunlight "bends and scatters" when it has to pass through Earth's atmosphere, and while blue light gets scattered more easily, colours liked red and orange travel a straighter path. It is this "heavily filtered morning and evening light" which reaches the moon, and that's why the moon appears "red-orange".
According to NASA, "the more dust or clouds in Earth’s atmosphere during the eclipse, the redder the Moon will appear." You can read more about today's phenomena, here in our Explained.