India witnesses partial lunar eclipse on early Wednesday

Lunar eclipse. Pic/Satej Shinde

New Delhi: India on early Wednesday witnessed a partial lunar eclipse that is called ardh chandra grahan in Hindi for few hours. The partial lunar eclipse, which is said to be the last of 2019, started at around 1.31 am on July 17 night and will be ending before dawn on Wednesday. The eclipse gradually grew and was at its peak at 3 am and it exactly looked as if a chunk of the Moon has been bitten off. It was around 3 am the eclipse was an easy-to-watch astronomical event.

A lunar eclipse phenomenon occurs when the Moon passes directly behind Earth and into its shadow. This occurs only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are exactly or very closely aligned, with Earth between the other two. A lunar eclipse can occur only on the night of a full moon. The type and length of a lunar eclipse depend on the Moon's proximity to either node of its orbit. The eclipse was witnessed in regions of Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America, apart from India.

Lunar eclipse. Pic/Satej Shinde

According to the Hindu tradition, no religious or auspicious practice is performed at the time of the lunar eclipse. Many famous temples across the country also remain closed, with the face of the deity covered during the period. People performing puja are instructed to do it before or after the eclipse. During lunar eclipse, people are advised to take a bath before and after the lunar eclipse. They also avoid cooking or consuming food during that period.

Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from ANI

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates