Full Moon eclipse India LIVE stream: Watch the Lunar Eclipse – Chandra Grahan online

The first eclipse of the year takes place tonight when a lunar phenomena known as Chandra Grahan rises over India. This sees a rare penumbral lunar eclipse arrive in the skies.

This is the final eclipse of a season that overlaps with 2019.

The new year will start with a penumbral lunar eclipse, next January 10

Dr Gianluca Masi

This season began with the 2019 Boxing Day annular solar eclipse of December 26.

Tonight’s penumbral lunar eclipse will be visible from the late evening for those interested in astronomy in India.

However, the Full Moon eclipse will be at its best quite late into night, meaning many will be asleep when the eclipse peaks.

Consequently, Express.co.uk reveals how to live stream this rare lunar eclipse event.

READ MORE: NASA unveils stunning photo of ISS transiting Sun

Full Moon eclipse India live stream

Full Moon eclipse India live stream: The first eclipse of the year takes place tonight in India (Image: Getty)

How to watch tonight’s Full Moon eclipse over India:

You can catch the Full Moon tonight via Italy’s Virtual Telescope Project.

The Virtual Telescope will broadcast the Full Moon eclipse from Italy’s Rome, starting at 10.30pm IST (5.30pm GMT).

Simply click play on the embedded video player below.

Virtual Telescope founder Dr Gianluca Masi told Express.co.uk: “The new year will start with a penumbral lunar eclipse, next January 10.

“At Virtual Telescope we will be streaming this event online, sharing the Moon from Rome, above its legendary skyline.

“The Penumbral Lunar Eclipse live feed will start on January 10, at 5pm UTC.”

Full Moon eclipse India live stream

Full Moon eclipse India live stream: The Full Moon eclipse will be at its best quite late into night (Image: Express)

What time is the penumbral eclipse in India?

This month’s special eclipse starts at 10.37pm IST (5.07pm GMT) on Friday, January 10.

The Moon will be fully illuminated at around 12.37am IST on January 11 (7.37pm GMT on January 10).

The lunar eclipse, also known as Chandra Grahan, will be penumbral.

A penumbral eclipse sees the Earth block some sunlight from reaching the Moon.

Only the outer shadow, known as the penumbra by astronomers, will fall on the Moon.

Full Moon eclipse India live stream

Full Moon eclipse India live stream: You can catch the Full Moon tonight via Italy’s Virtual Telescope Project (Image: Getty)

What causes Full Moons to happen?

Full Moons happen when the Moon is located on the opposite side of our planet and directly across from the Sun.

The face of our celestial orb is consequently fully illuminated.

Tonight’s Full Moon visible will be all the more special because it coincides with a penumbral lunar eclipse.

A penumbral eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the partial shadow of our planet.

Full Moon eclipse India live stream

Full Moon eclipse India live stream: This month’s special eclipse starts at 10.37pm IST (Image: Express)

A Full Moon combining with a penumbral lunar eclipse means onlookers will see the Moon but the orbiting object may look a little dimmer than usual.

Of all the types of lunar eclipses, penumbral ones are unfortunately the least photogenic.

Six eclipses have been forecast for 2020 including two solar eclipses and four lunar ones.

And all of this year’s lunar eclipses will be penumbral ones.

This is because the Moon is currently travelling through our planet’s outer faint penumbral shadow and not the planet’s dark umbral shadow.

Full Moon eclipse India live stream

Full Moon eclipse India live stream: A lunar phenomena known as Chandra Grahan is rising over India (Image: Getty)

How did the Full Moon come to be called the Wolf Moon?

The name Full Wolf Moon is adopted by Native American tribes.

These ancient people noticed how hungry wolves howled at the same time of year as this Full Moon phenomenon.

The lunar event is also called the Moon After Yule and the Old Moon.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac said: “The Full Moon for January was called the Full Wolf Moon because wolves were more often heard at this time.

“It was traditionally thought that they howled due to hunger, but there is no evidence for this.

“However, wolves do tend to howl more often during winter months and generally howl to define territory, locate pack members, and gather for hunting.”

Why are there 13 Full Moons this year?

Lunar months are actually exactly 29.53 days long, while most months are longer than 29 days.

Consequently, the date of the Full Moon drifts to be sooner in successive months.

There inevitably comes a time when there is both a Full Moon on the first and last day of the month.

This is something that in 2020 occurs in October.

The second Full Moon of that month, on October 31, will be the Blue Moon.

So this year will actually have 13 Full Moons between January and December.

The Farmers’ Almanac said: “In our lexicon, we describe an unusual event as happening ‘Once in a Blue Moon’.

“This expression was first noted back in 1821 and refers to occurrences that are uncommon, though not truly rare”.

source: express.co.uk