Recently, The two eclipses in October 2023 are going to be the last celestial events of the year. Check out this article to understand the types of solar and lunar eclipses, their timings and visibility.
Solar Eclipse 2023: Date and Time
Date: Saturday
October 14, 2023
Start Time: 08:34 PM
End Time: 02:25 AM
Lunar Eclipse 2023: Date and Time
Date: Saturday
October 28, 2023
Star Time: 01:05 AM
End Time: 02:24 AM
Will this Solar Eclipse be visible in India?
The upcoming solar eclipse won’t be seen in India, hence no sutak kaal. NASA confirms the annular eclipse on Oct 14, 2023, visible in North and South America, including the United States and Mexico.
| Location | Partial Eclipse Begins | Annularity Begins | Maximum | Annularity Ends | Partial Eclipse Ends |
| Eugene, Oregon | 8:06 a.m. PDT | 9:16 a.m. PDT | 9:18 a.m. PDT | 9:20 a.m. PDT | 10:39 a.m. PDT |
| Alturas, California | 8:05 a.m. PDT | 9:19 a.m. PDT | 9:20 a.m. PDT | 9:21 a.m. PDT | 10:43 a.m. PDT |
| Battle Mountain, Nevada | 8:06 a.m. PDT | 9:21 a.m. PDT | 9:23 a.m. PDT | 9:25 a.m. PDT | 10:48 a.m. PDT |
| Richfield, Utah | 9:09 a.m. MDT | 10:26 a.m. MDT | 10:28 a.m. MDT | 10:31 a.m. MDT | 11:56 a.m. MDT |
| Albuquerque, New Mexico | 9:13 a.m. MDT | 10:34 a.m. MDT | 10:35 a.m. MDT | 10:39 a.m. MDT | 12:09 p.m. MDT |
| San Antonio, Texas | 10:23 a.m. CDT | 11:52 a.m. CDT | 11:54 a.m. CDT | 11:56 a.m. CDT | 1:33 p.m. CDT |
Source: NASA
What are the differences between Solar Eclipse and Lunar Eclipse?
Solar Eclipse and Lunar Eclipse mark the differences in the alignment of the Sun, Earth and Moon. The table below highlights the major differences between the two:
| Solar Eclipse | Lunar Eclipse |
| Occurs when the Moon blocks the Sun | Occurs when the Earth blocks the Sun’s light from reaching the Moon |
| It usually falls on a new moon. | It commonly occurs during a full moon. |
| Visible only from specific locations on Earth where the eclipse is occurring | Visible from the entire nighttime hemisphere on Earth |
| Less frequent than lunar eclipses | More frequent than solar eclipses |
| Shorter in duration, typically a few minutes | Longer in duration, often several hours |
| Dangerous to observe without proper eye protection due to the Sun’s intensity | Safe to observe with the naked eye |
| Appears as the Sun being covered partially or completely by the Moon | Appears as the Moon turning a reddish or copper colour (the “blood moon”) |
| It occurs during the day | It occurs during the night |
| In astrology, solar eclipses are associated with major changes or beginnings. | In astrology, lunar eclipses are associated with endings, emotional shifts, and culmination. |
| The four major types of solar eclipses are Total, partial, annular, and hybrid. | The four major types of lunar eclipses are Penumbral, partial, and total. |
FYI, the two celestial events will be the last for this year. Now, skywatchers have to wait for the coming year to witness the symphony of light and shadow.
What is an eclipse of the Moon?
What causes eclipses and why? How often do eclipses happen and when is the next eclipse of the Moon? You’ll learn the answers to these questions and more in MrEclipse’s primer on lunar eclipses.
The Moon is a cold, rocky body about 2,160 miles (3,476 km) in diameter. It has no light of its own but shines by sunlight reflected from its surface. The Moon orbits Earth about once every 29 and a half days. As it circles our planet, the changing position of the Moon with respect to the Sun causes our natural satellite to cycle through a series of phases:
- New Moon > New Crescent > First Quarter > Waxing Gibbous> Full Moon >
Waning Gibbous > Last Quarter > Old Crescent > New Moon (again) - The New Moon is unseen as the Moon faces away from Earth. Months are linked to the Moon’s 29.5-day cycle. Various cultures used lunar calendars, like the Hebrew, Muslim, and Chinese calendars. The Full Moon, associated with love, rises at sunset, stays all night, and sets at sunrise, occurring mid-month. This phase also relates to eclipses.
A lunar eclipse can be seen from Earth at night. There are three types of lunar eclipses:
- Total lunar eclipse
- Partial lunar eclipse
- Penumbral lunar eclipse
Total Lunar eclipse
- A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon and the Sun are on exact opposite sides of Earth.
- Although the Moon is in Earth’s shadow, some sunlight reaches the Moon.
- The sunlight passes through Earth’s atmosphere, which filters out most of the blue light.
- This makes the Moon appear red to people on Earth.
Partial Lunar Eclipse
- A partial lunar eclipse happens when part of the Moon enters Earth’s shadow.
- In a partial eclipse, Earth’s shadow appears very dark on the side of the Moon facing Earth.
- What people see from Earth during a partial lunar eclipse depends on how the Sun, Earth and Moon align.
Penumbral lunar eclipse
- A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and the Moon are imperfectly aligned.
- When this happens, the Earth blocks some of the Sun’s light from directly reaching the Moon’s surface and covers all or part of the Moon with the outer part of its shadow, also known as the penumbra.
- Since the penumbra is much fainter than the dark core of the Earth’s shadow, the umbra, a penumbral eclipse of the Moon is often difficult to tell apart from a normal Full Moon.
A lunar eclipse usually lasts for a few hours. At least two partial lunar eclipses happen every year, but total lunar eclipses are rare. It is safe to look at a lunar eclipse.
Read More : Ningaloo Solar Eclipse
