Is Lunar Eclipse visible in India? Find how and when to watch lunar eclipse of July 2020

The sky on July 5, 2020, will be bejewelled by the penumbral lunar eclipse. The year 2020 is a treat for sky gazers as well as astronomy enthusiasts throughout the world, as there are a total of six eclipses that the world will get to witness this year. Out of the six eclipses set to occur in 2020, four will be lunar and the remaining two will be solar. The Lunar Eclipse July 2020 is the third penumbral eclipse. Read on to know, “Is Lunar Eclipse visible in India?”

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Is Lunar Eclipse visible in India? What is the Lunar Eclipse timing?

Unfortunately for the astronomy enthusiasts in India, the Lunar eclipse in  India will not be visible. The reason being that the lunar eclipse in India will occur on July 5, but the timings will be between 8:37 AM  IST and 11:22 AM IST. This means that it will be in the morning hours, hence, in the bright morning sky, stargazers in India won’t get to witness it. However, the lunar eclipse in India will last for two hours and 45 minutes.

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Here is what will happen during the Lunar Eclipse in India

• The penumbral eclipse will begin on July 5, 2020, at 8:37 AM IST.
• The Maximum lunar eclipse in India will occur around 9:59 AM IST. This is when Earth will cover the maximum surface of the moon with its shadow.
• The lunar eclipse in India ends at 11:22 AM IST. 

Will Jupiter and Saturn be visible as a result of Lunar Eclipse in India?

Since it will be morning in India, Jupiter, Saturn and a plethora of other stars won’t be visible just like the lunar eclipse in India. But for the United States and countries in the Western Hemisphere, moments before the lunar eclipse July 2020, the bright gas planet Jupiter and the fainter planet Saturn will adorn the sky in the east and southeast. During the lunar eclipse, Jupiter will be situated about 6 degrees above the horizon to the right, while Saturn will be on the left and about 3 degrees above the horizon.

Image Credit: NASA

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The brightest star which will be closest to visibility directly overhead during the lunar eclipse will be Arcturus. Arcturus will be appearing 64 degrees above the southwestern horizon. The three bright stars of the "Summer Triangle" constellation will appear towards the East. Vega will be visible 55 degrees above the horizon in the Wast as well as Northeast while Deneb will appear about 35 degrees above the horizon to the lower left of Vega. Altair will be in the East about 26 degrees above the horizon.

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How to watch Lunar Eclipse?

While astronomy enthusiasts in India won’t get to witness the solar eclipse themselves, they can watch its live stream. The lunar eclipse July 2020, and other such celestial events are often live-streamed on popular YouTube channels. If the astronomy enthusiast lives in one of the regions where the lunar eclipse will be visible, sky gazers should be able to watch it without any special equipment.