Chandra Grahan or Lunar Eclipse 2018 dates and time in Bangladesh: The longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century will be seen late July 27 night and the early hours of July 28. The lunar eclipse or chandra grahan lasting one hour and 43 minutes will be visible in its entirety all over Bangladesh if the sky remains clear.

The celestial spectacle will be taking place alongside the Blood Moon and the Mars opposition.

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Here’s all you need to know about the chandra grahan.

How does a chandra grahan occur?

A lunar eclipse or chandra grahan occurs when the Earth while orbiting the Sun comes between the Sun and the Moon, stealing the Moon’s shine by blocking the sunlight that is reflected by the natural satellite. The phenomenon prevents the sunlight from hitting the Moon’s surface and instead causes the Earth’s shadow to fall on it, effecting a total lunar eclipse.

Why is it called Blood Moon?

Moon has no light of its own. It only reflects the light it gets from the Sun. During an eclipse, though the moon is in the Earth’s shadow, some sunlight still reaches it after passing through the Earth’s atmosphere. This causes the Earth’s atmosphere to filter out most of the blue light, making the moon appear red. This light gives the Earth’s natural satellite a dramatically colourful appearance — from bright orange to blood red. This is why it’s called Blood Moon. Depending upon the part of the Eartha’s shadow the Moon will be passing through, its appearance can be sometimes dark brown to very dark gray too.

When is chandra grahan/lunar eclipse in Bangladesh?

The chandra graham or lunar eclipse will take place on Friday, July 27. The total eclipse will be preceded and followed by partial eclipses. According to the Climate Division of Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the first phase of the eclipse will start at 23:13:06 Bangladesh Standard Time (BST) and the entire celestial event will get over at 05:30:24 BST. The moon will enter ‘Totality’ at 01:30:00 BST, appearing to turn red, and leave at 03:13:36 BST. The total eclipse will occur at 02:21:48 BST, and the highest magnitude of the eclipse will be 1.614, according to the Bangladesh Met department.

What do you need to watch the chandra grahan?

Unlike solar eclipse, you do not need any special filter to watch a lunar eclipse. It is completely safe to look at an eclipsed moon with the naked eye. You don’t need a telescope either, but we advise you to use a good pair of binoculars for an enhanced experience.