Lunar Eclipse 2021: Longest eclipse of the century on November 19, when and where to watch

A partial lunar eclipse happens when the Earth is caught between the Sun and the full moon but the Earth's shadow falls on only a part of the Moon's visible surface.

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Lunar Eclipse of 2021: Stargazers in India are in for a treat as 2021's last lunar eclipse of the year comes closer. On November 19, the lnar eclipse will take place which will be visible for a very short span of time and only at northeastern India. 

It will be the second and final lunar eclipse of the year and will be a partial lunar eclipse. It will be a partial eclipse and is also dubbed as the longest one for the century. The lunar eclipse will begin at 11:34 am IST on Friday, November 19, 2021 and will end at 05:33 pm lasting a total of 6 hours and 1 minute.

The Earth will be experiencing a total of 228 lunar eclipses in the 21st century. A lunar eclipse can occur only a maximum of three times a year, according to US space agency NASA.

The ending of the partial phase just after moonrise will be visible from extreme north-eastern parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Additionally, this lunar eclipse can be seen in the US, Northern Europe, East Asia, Australia and the Pacific Ocean region. 

A 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 partial lunar eclipse happens when the Earth moves between the Sun and the Full Moon, but they are not precisely aligned. Only part of the Moon's visible surface moves into the dark part of the Earth's shadow.

Also, Kartik Purnima is slated to occur on November 19 like it happened last year. Kartik Purnima is an auspicious occasion and on this occasion, people take dips in the holy river Ganga, they pray to Lord Vishnu on this day.