India witnesses lunar occultation of Saturn after 18 years

July 25, 2024 07:07

Various parts of the country witnessed Shani Chandra Grahan, also known as the lunar occultation of Saturn, on the night of July 24-25.

The eclipse was visible in different parts of the country, including the India Gate area in Delhi, and West Bengal's Kolkata.

Shani Chandra Grahan happens when the Moon passes directly in front of Saturn, causing the ringed planet to be obscured from view. This occultation of Saturn is fascinating because it not only highlights the intricate movements of celestial bodies but also offers endless opportunities for astronomers to study the visibility of Saturn.

The rare celestial event is taking place after 18 years in India, offering unique opportunities to both astronomers to study the event.

Earlier, the last lunar eclipse of 2023 took place on the intervening nights of October 28 and 29. The eclipse was visible in different parts of the country, including Nehru Planetarium in Delhi, West Bengal's Siliguri, Gujarat's Rajkot, and Mumbai's Chembur.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six months, during the full moon phase when the Moon's orbital plane is closest to the plane of the Earth's orbit.

This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are exactly or very closely aligned (in syzygy) with Earth between the other two, which can happen only on the night of a full moon when the Moon is near either lunar node.

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