New Delhi: India on Wednesday witnessed a partial lunar eclipse for a few hours. It started at around 1.31 am and ended before dawn. The eclipse gradually grew and at 3 am it was at its peak and seemed exactly as if a chunk of Moon has been bitten off.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly behind Earth and into its shadow. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are exactly or very closely aligned with Earth between the other two.
During a partial eclipse, the Earth’s shadow passes only through a part of the Moon, resulting in a large dark spot that makes it seem as though a chunk of the Moon has been bitten off. Apart from India, the eclipse was witnessed in regions of Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and South America.
According to the Hindu tradition, no religious or auspicious practice is performed at the time of the Lunar eclipse. People performing puja are instructed to do it before or after the eclipse.
