Penumbral Lunar Eclipse on 5 May, Know the Timings and Why This Event is Being Talked About

On 5th May 2023, the world will experience a penumbral lunar eclipse. It will end on 6th May. Know why this eclipse is a unique event for the next two decades.

Written by: Arjita Gupta

Edited by: Krutarth Ghosalkar

Last Updated: May 02, 2023

A penumbral lunar eclipse will take place on 5 May 2023, Friday. It will begin at 8:44 pm IST on 5^th May, and continue until 1:01 am IST on 6^th May. The penumbra eclipse happens when the moon crosses through the outer part (relatively faint) of the Earth’s shadow. This deep part from where the moon passes is called the penumbra. This eclipse is not as prominent as other types of lunar eclipses. This time around, the umbral magnitude of the eclipse will be -0.046.

So, the moon will perhaps miss the umbra (the darker and inner section of the Earth’s shadow). As per calculations, the penumbra lunar eclipse in May 2023 will be the deepest of its kind until September 2042. A penumbral lunar eclipse is often thought of as a regular full moon, but that is not the instance. The penumbral eclipse makes the moon seem fainter on designated hours of the eclipse. It will be visible in Australia, Asia, Europe, the Pacific, Africa, Antarctica, the Indian Ocean, and the Atlantic.

For a penumbral lunar eclipse, the moon should remain in the full moon stage. And the moon, earth, and sun should be nearly aligned. However, the alignment must not be as perfect as that in the instance of a partial eclipse. The event is not that easy to see. The shadow of the Earth is light and difficult to spot when it passes the face of the moon. However, the best time to watch the eclipse is at its maximum visibility moment, when an edge of the moon appears a bit darker than its other edge.

If the sky is clear, then the lunar eclipse shall be visible on Earth everywhere in the night. While some regions can experience full visibility of the eclipse, others will only see the Moon rise or set at the time of the lunar eclipse this May. During the eclipse, the moon will remain over the horizon. Thus, the entire eclipse will be visible if the weather conditions are good in New Delhi.