Chandra Grahan 2021: Total lunar eclipse dazzles as it coincides with supermoon

The ending of the partial phase of which will be visible for a very short span of time just after moonrise from extreme northeastern parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

The Lunar Eclipse 2021 can be seen from Puri (Odisha) and Malda (West Bengal) from 6.21 pm today but can only be viewed for two minutes.

The May full moon is known as the Flower Moon as it occurs when spring flowers are in bloom.

The eclipse will happen in the early morning hours on Wednesday in western North America, with people in Alaska and Hawaii getting the best views. It can also be seen in southern Chile and Argentina. Skygazers in all of Australia and New Zealand and parts of Southeast Asia can see the eclipse. For stargazers in parts of the world where the event is not visible or obscured by clouds, some observatories will webcast the eclipse. The Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles will stream live views beginning at 1:45 a.m. PT (0845 GMT). The Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, will start its broadcast at 2:30 a.m. PT (0930 GMT). The Astronomical Society of South Australia will also broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube starting at 7 p.m. ACST (0930 GMT).

Lunar eclipses have not always been so warmly anticipated throughout history. In many cultures lunar and solar eclipses were seen as harbingers of doom. The Inca believed a lunar eclipse occurred when a jaguar had eaten the Moon. Some Aboriginal Australian groups believed it signalled someone on a journey had been hurt or killed. In "King Lear" William Shakespeare warned that "eclipses in the sun and moon portend no good to us". But so far no apocalyptic consequences have been recorded from these celestial shows.

According to NASA's Bill Cooke, "folks in Hawaii and the Aleutian Islands will get to see the entirety of this eclipse -- it will be quite a show for them."

Stargazers across the Pacific Rim will cast their eyes skyward on Wednesday night to witness a rare "Super Blood Moon", as the heavens align to bring an extra-spectacular lunar eclipse. The first total lunar eclipse in two years will happen at the same time as the Moon is closest to Earth, in what astronomers say will be a once-in-a-decade show. If the skies are clear, anyone living in the Pacific between Australia and the central United States will be able to see an enormous, bright, orangey-red Moon.

The lunar eclipse can be seen from Port Blair from 5.38 pm and viewed for 45 minutes, the longest time.

Lunar eclipse occurs on a full Moon day when the Earth comes in between the Sun and the Moon and when all the three objects are aligned. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon comes under the umbral shadow of the Earth and the partial lunar eclipse occurs when only a part of the Moon comes under the umbral shadow of the Earth. The next lunar eclipse will be visible from India on November 19,2021. It will be a partial lunar eclipse.

According to NASA, a series of celestial events have been happening since May 17 which will culminate in the total lunar eclipse.

The color of the moon is the result of the sunrises and sunsets in Earth's atmosphere projected onto the surface of the eclipsed moon. The moon will be more than 220,000 miles (357,460 kilometers) away at its fullest. It's this proximity, combined with a full moon, that qualifies it as a supermoon, making it appear slightly bigger and more brilliant in the sky.

It's the first total lunar eclipse in more than two years. While the total eclipse will be just 15 minutes, the entire show will last five hours, as Earth's shadow gradually covers the moon, then starts to ebb.

Sky gazers along the US East Coast will be out of luck because the moon will be setting and the sun rising. Europe, Africa and western Asia will miss everything. However, there will be livestreams available on Internet, and everyone around the world will be able to soak in the brighter-than-usual moon, weather permitting.

New Zealand, Australia and some other places in the Pacific and East Asia will see the show before midnight, while night owls in Hawaii and the western part of North America will be able to see it in the early morning hours.