Get your viewing tool ready for spectacular lunar eclipse tonight

New Delhi: The space circuit in India is buzzing with excitement and anticipation ever since word about the lunar eclipse spread.

Celestial spectacles are a delight to witness and the partial lunar eclipse will grace the skies on Monday night, August 7, which will continue till the wee hours of the next morning.

While there was a little disappointment among space enthusiasts due to India not being able to witness the August 21 total solar eclipse – which will only be visible in the US – the news of the lunar eclipse sure made things better.

Besides India, the celestial event will be visible in Asia, Europe, and Africa as well.

The penumbral part of the lunar eclipse, which is difficult to discern, will start at 9:20 pm on Monday night, while the partial phase will start at 10:52 pm.

The partial eclipse ends at 12:48 am while the penumbral eclipse ends at 2:20 am on August 8.

A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon align in an almost straight line.

In this scenario, 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.

The Nehru Planetarium will be setting up telescopes to help visitors observe the Moon before the eclipse and the partial phases of the eclipse, at the Teen Murti lawns from 9:00 pm on Monday night.