Second penumbral lunar eclipse of 2020 to occur today at 11.15 pm IST: Here's all you need to know

The second of the four penumbral lunar eclipses of 2020 is expected to occur on the intervening night of 5 and 6 June.

According to Time and Date , the lunar eclipse will be visible in much of Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, South/East South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and Antarctica.

The report said that since it is a penumbral eclipse, it can be hard to see as the moon will only be a bit fainter.

Timing of penumbral lunar eclipse in India

In New Delhi, the eclipse will begin from 5 June at 11.15 pm. It will continue till 6 June, at 02.34 am. The maximum eclipse will be visible on 6 June, 12:54 am. The total duration of the eclipse is three hours and 18 minutes.

The moon is above the horizon during the penumbral lunar eclipse and if the weather conditions are good, people in New Delhi will be able to see it completely, the report said.

A lunar eclipse takes place when the Earth comes between the sun and the moon. The Earth’s shadow blocks some or all of the sun’s light from reaching the moon during the process.

There are three types of a lunar eclipse – a total lunar eclipse, partial lunar eclipse and penumbral lunar eclipse

A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the moon moves through the faint, outer part of the Earth’s shadow.

The penumbral lunar eclipse in June this year is popularly called the ‘Strawberry Moon Eclipse’. During ‘Strawberry Moon Eclipse’, 57 percent of the moon is expected to pass into the Earth’s penumbra.

Unless you are a seasoned skywatcher, you may not notice the effect of the penumbral lunar eclipse. “The outer part of Earth’s penumbra is so pale that you won’t notice anything until the moon’s edge has slid at least halfway in,” a senior editor at Sky & Telescope magazine Alan MacRobert said.

The next two lunar eclipses of 2020 will be on 4-5 July and 29-30 November. Both will be a penumbral lunar eclipse.