Kolkata will witness the concluding phase of a total lunar eclipse on Tuesday, March 3, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The celestial event, which falls on 12 Phalguna, 1947 Saka Era, will be visible from most parts of India except some places in the extreme western region of the country.
The eclipse will begin at 3.20pm IST and end at 6.48pm IST. The total phase, when the entire moon passes into the Earth’s umbral shadow, will start at 4.34pm IST and conclude at 5.33pm IST. The magnitude of the eclipse is 1.155.
In Kolkata, moonrise is scheduled for 5.39pm IST. This means Kolkatans will see the moon rise while it is still under eclipse. The final part of the event will remain visible for about an hour until 6.48pm IST.
While most places in India will observe only the ending of the eclipse at moonrise, parts of the Northeast and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands will also witness the end of the totality phase.
Beyond India, the eclipse will be visible across eastern Asia, Australia, the Pacific Ocean region and the Americas.
According to IMD, “A lunar eclipse occurs on a full moon day when the earth comes between the sun and the moon, aligning all three in a straight line”.
A total lunar eclipse takes place when the whole moon is covered by the earth’s umbral shadow.
The last lunar eclipse visible from India occurred on September 7 and 8, 2025, according to IMD. It was a total eclipse.
The next eclipse visible from India will be a partial lunar eclipse on July 6, 2028, the Met office said in a bulletin.