moon travel by india

• Share full article

Advertisement

‘India Is on the Moon’: Lander’s Success Moves Nation to Next Space Chapter

The Chandrayaan-3 mission makes India the first country to reach the lunar south polar region in one piece and adds to the achievements of the country’s homegrown space program.

By Hari Kumar ,  Alex Travelli ,  Mujib Mashal and Kenneth Chang

Hari Kumar and Alex Travelli reported from Bengaluru, India, near the Chandrayaan-3 mission control.

• Published Aug. 23, 2023 Updated Aug. 24, 2023

Two visitors from India — a lander named Vikram and a rover named Pragyan — landed in the southern polar region of the moon on Wednesday. The two robots, from a mission named Chandrayaan-3, make India the first country to ever reach this part of the lunar surface in one piece — and only the fourth country ever to land on the moon.

“We have achieved soft landing on the moon,” S. Somanath, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, said after a roar ripped through the ISRO compound just past 6 p.m. local time. “India is on the moon.”

The Indian public already takes great pride in the accomplishments of the nation’s space program, which has orbited the moon and Mars and routinely launches satellites above the Earth with far fewer financial resources than other space-faring nations.

But the achievement of Chandrayaan-3 may be even sweeter, as it comes at a particularly important moment in the South Asian giant’s diplomatic push as an ambitious power on the rise.

India Successfully Lands Spacecraft on Moon’s Surface

The control room at the indian space research organization erupted in cheers when the chandrayaan-3 spacecraft landed on the southern polar region of the moon..

The altitude is being brought down from 800 meters. And we are nearing and approaching the lunar surface. He hung up a painting for the exact day. He the. People are applauding. From the Secretary department of space and chairman isro Somnath. I’m confident. That all countries in the world. Including those from the Global South. Are capable of achieving such feats. We can all aspire. Part of the moon and beyond.

Indian officials have been advocating in favor of a multipolar world order in which New Delhi is seen as indispensable to global solutions. In space exploration, as in many other fields, the message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has been clear: The world will be a fairer place if India takes on a leadership role, even as the world’s most populous nation works to meet its people’s basic needs.

That assertiveness on the world stage is a central campaign message for Mr. Modi, who is up for re-election to a third term early next year. He has frequently fused his image with that of India’s rise as an economic, diplomatic and technological power.

Mr. Modi has been physically present at mission control for other recent moments in India’s space history, including during a successful orbit of Mars in 2014 and a failed moon landing in 2019 where he was seen consoling the scientists and hugging the chief of ISRO, who was weeping.

But the Chandrayaan-3 landing coincided with his trip to South Africa for a meeting of the group of nations known as BRICS . Mr. Modi’s face beamed into the control room in Bengaluru during the landing’s final minutes, where he was split-screen with the animation of the lander.

“Chandrayaan-3’s triumph mirrors the aspirations and capabilities of 1.4 billion Indians,” Mr. Modi said when the landing was complete, declaring the event as “the moment for new, developing India.”

In a country with a deep tradition of science, the excitement and anticipation around the landing provided a rare moment of unity in what has otherwise been fraught times of sectarian tension stoked by divisive policies of Mr. Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist party.

Prayers were offered for the mission’s success at Hindu temples, Sikh Gurdwaras and Muslim mosques. Schools held special ceremonies and organized live viewings of the moon landing, with an official YouTube video of the event racking up tens of millions of views. The police band in the city of Mumbai, India’s commercial and entertainment hub, sent a “special musical tribute” to the scientists, performing a popular patriotic song.

“There is full faith,” the song, in Hindi, says. “We will succeed.”

The Indian mission launched in July, taking a slow, fuel-conscious route toward the moon. But Chandrayaan-3 out-endured its Russian counterpart, Luna-25, which launched 12 days ago. Luna-25 was scheduled to land on the moon on Monday in the same general vicinity as the Indian craft but crashed on Saturday following an engine malfunction.

That India managed to outdo Russia, which as the Soviet Union put the first satellite, man and woman in space, speaks to the diverging fortunes of the two nations’ space programs.

Much of India’s foreign policy in recent decades has been shaped by a delicate balancing act between Washington and Moscow, but the country is grappling more with an increasingly aggressive China at its borders. The two countries’ militaries have been stuck in a standoff in the Himalayas for three years now, and the vulnerability to a threat from China is a major driving factor in India’s calculations.

A shared frustration with Beijing has only increased U.S. and Indian cooperation , including in space, where China is establishing itself in direct competition with the United States.

And with the success of Chandrayaan-3, Mr. Modi can reap benefits in leaning into India’s scientific prowess to “more confidently assert Indian national interest on the world stage,” said Bharat Karnad, an emeritus professor of national security studies at the Center for Policy Research in New Delhi.

The control room in Bengaluru became a joyous scene among the engineers, scientists and technicians of the Indian Space Research Organization.

Speaking after the landing, members of the ISRO leadership who managed Chandrayaan-3 made clear that the failure of their last moon landing attempt, in 2019, was a major driving force behind their work.

“From the day we started rebuilding our spacecraft after Chandaryaan-2 experience, it has been breathe in, breathe out Chandrayaan-3 for our team,” said Kalpana Kalahasti, the mission’s associate project director.

Chandrayaan-3 has been orbiting the moon since early August. On Sunday, an engine burn pushed the lander into an elliptical orbit that passed within 15 miles of the surface. On Wednesday, as the spacecraft approached the low point of the orbit, moving at more than 3,700 miles per hour, a preprogrammed sequence of maneuvers commenced.

The craft’s four engines fired again at the start of what ISRO called the “rough braking” portion of the descent, its speed of fall accelerating. After 11.5 minutes, the lander was just over 4.5 miles above the surface and started rotating from a horizontal to a vertical position while continuing its descent.

The spacecraft stopped to hover about 150 yards above the surface for a few seconds, then resumed its downward journey until it settled gently on the surface, about 370 miles from the south pole. The landing sequence took about 19 minutes.

Chandrayaan-3 is a scientific mission, timed for a two-week period when the sun will shine on the landing site and provide energy for the solar-powered lander and rover. The lander and rover will use a range of instruments to make thermal, seismic and mineralogical measurements.

India and ISRO have many other plans afoot.

Although an Indian astronaut flew to orbit on a Soviet spacecraft in 1984, the country has never sent people to space on its own. India is preparing its first astronaut mission, called Gaganyaan. But the project, which aims to send three Indian astronauts to space on the country’s own spacecraft, has faced delays, and ISRO has not announced a date.

The country is also working on launching a solar observatory called Aditya-L1 in early September, and later, an Earth observation satellite built jointly with NASA. India is also planning a follow-up to its recently concluded Mars orbiter mission.

Mr. Somanath has described the current moment as an inflection point, with the country opening its space efforts to private investors after half a century of state monopoly that made advances but at “a shoestring budget mode of working.”

“These are very cost-effective missions,” Mr. Somanath said after the landing. “No one in the world can do it like we do.”

When pressed by reporters about the cost of Chandrayaan-3, Mr. Somanath deflected with laughter: “I won’t disclose such secrets, we don’t want everyone else to become so cost-effective!”

While ISRO will continue exploring the solar system, the accomplishments of India’s private sector may soon garner as much attention. A younger generation of space engineers, inspired by SpaceX , have started going into business on their own. While ISRO’s budget in the past fiscal year was less than $1.5 billion, the size of India’s private space economy is already at least $6 billion and is expected to triple as soon as 2025.

And the pace of change is quickening. Mr. Modi’s government wants India to harness the private sector’s entrepreneurial energy to put more satellites and investment into space — and faster.

Up on the moon Vikram and Pragyan were set to get to work, with the rover possibly rolling onto the lunar surface in the coming hours or sometime on Thursday according to Mr. Somanath. The landing site, on a plateau south of the Manzinus crater and to the west of the Boguslawsky crater, is at about the same latitude as the edge of Antarctica on Earth.

To date, spacecraft have successfully landed on the moon closer to the equator. The polar regions are intriguing because there is frozen water at the bottom of permanently shadowed craters. If such water can be found in sufficient quantities and extracted, astronauts could use it for future space exploration.

The lunar south pole is the intended destination for astronauts who could visit the moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program, and also for upcoming Chinese and Russian missions. In the nearer term, as many as three robotic missions, one from Japan and two from private U.S. companies working with NASA, could head to the moon later this year.

But in Bengaluru after the launch, Mr. Somanath hinted that India had its eyes on worlds beyond the moon.

“It is very difficult for any nation to achieve. But we have done so with just two attempts,” he said. “It gives confidence to land on Mars and maybe Venus and other planets, maybe asteroids.”

Hari Kumar is a reporter in the New Delhi bureau. He joined The Times in 1997. More about Hari Kumar

Alex Travelli is a correspondent for The Times based in New Delhi, covering business and economic matters in India and the rest of South Asia. He previously worked as an editor and correspondent for The Economist. More about Alex Travelli

Mujib Mashal is The Times’s bureau chief for South Asia. Born in Kabul, he wrote for magazines including The Atlantic, Harper’s and Time before joining The Times. More about Mujib Mashal

Kenneth Chang has been at The Times since 2000, writing about physics, geology, chemistry, and the planets. Before becoming a science writer, he was a graduate student whose research involved the control of chaos. More about Kenneth Chang

What’s Up in Space and Astronomy

Keep track of things going on in our solar system and all around the universe..

Never miss an eclipse, a meteor shower, a rocket launch or any other 2024 event  that’s out of this world with  our space and astronomy calendar .

A new set of computer simulations, which take into account the effects of stars moving past our solar system, has effectively made it harder to predict Earth’s future and reconstruct its past.

Dante Lauretta, the planetary scientist who led the OSIRIS-REx mission to retrieve a handful of space dust , discusses his next final frontier.

A nova named T Coronae Borealis lit up the night about 80 years ago. Astronomers say it’s expected to put on another show  in the coming months.

Voyager 1, the 46-year-old first craft in interstellar space which flew by Jupiter and Saturn in its youth, may have gone dark .

Is Pluto a planet? And what is a planet, anyway? Test your knowledge here .

India becomes 4th country to reach the moon as spacecraft lands near lunar south pole

India becomes the 4th country to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon.

Indian spacecraft lands near moon’s south pole

Social sharing.

India on Wednesday made history as it became the first country in the world to land a spacecraft near the moon's south pole, an uncharted territory that scientists believe could hold vital reserves of frozen water, and the fourth country to achieve a moon landing.

A lander with a rover inside touched down on the lunar surface at 6:04 local time, sparking cheers and applause among the space scientists watching in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru. After a failed attempt in 2019, India now joins the United States, the Soviet Union and China in reaching this milestone.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi watched the historic landing from South Africa, where he is participating in the BRICS nations summit. "India is now on the moon. India has reached the south pole of the moon — no other country has achieved that. We are witnessing history," Modi said as he waved the Indian tri-coloured flag.

S. Somnath, chair of the state-run Indian Space Research Organization, or ISRO, said the rover will slide down a flap from the lander within hours or a day and conduct experiments, including an analysis of the mineral composition of the lunar surface.

Chandrayaan-3 Mission: <br>The image captured by the <br>Landing Imager Camera <br>after the landing.<br> <br>It shows a portion of Chandrayaan-3's landing site. Seen also is a leg and its accompanying shadow. <br><br>Chandrayaan-3 chose a relatively flat region on the lunar surface 🙂… <a href="https://t.co/xi7RVz5UvW">pic.twitter.com/xi7RVz5UvW</a> &mdash; @isro

The mission is expected to remain functional for two weeks, he said. He also said India would next attempt a manned lunar mission.

Mission advances India's space ambitions

India's successful landing comes just days after Russia's Luna-25, which was aiming for the same lunar region, spun into an uncontrolled orbit and crashed . It would have been the first successful Russian lunar landing after a gap of 47 years. Russia's head of the state-controlled space corporation Roscosmos attributed the failure to the lack of expertise due to the long break in lunar research that followed the last Soviet mission to the moon in 1976.

Excited and anxious, people across India, home to the world's largest population, crowded around televisions in offices, shops, restaurants and homes. Thousands prayed Tuesday for the success of the mission with oil lamps on the river banks, temples and religious places, including the holy city of Varanasi in northern India.

After the landing, congratulations poured in from around the world, cementing India's emergence as a modern space power.

"Your success will power the imagination and light the future of people around the world," the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs posted on X.

"Incredible!" European Space Agency's director general Josef Aschbacher tweeted. "I am thoroughly impressed."

NASA's former science mission chief, Thomas Zurbuchen, who now works at ETH Zurich, a public research university in Switzerland where he is leading its space initiative, said he felt proud of the achievement.

India's Chandrayaan-3 — "moon craft" in Sanskrit — took off from a launchpad in Sriharikota in southern India on July 14. Its landing marks a significant step forward for the nation's progress in space exploration, ISRO said in a statement earlier.

Lunar ice could be a valuable resource

Many countries and private companies are interested in the south pole region because permanently shadowed craters may hold frozen water that could help future astronaut missions.

The six-wheeled lander and rover module of Chandrayaan-3 is configured with payloads that would provide data to the scientific community on the properties of lunar soil and rocks, including chemical and elemental compositions.

India's previous attempt to land a robotic spacecraft near the moon's little-explored south pole ended in failure in 2019. It entered the lunar orbit but lost touch with its lander, which crashed while making its final descent to deploy a rover to search for signs of water. According to a failure analysis report submitted to the ISRO, the crash was caused by a software glitch.

The $140-million US mission in 2019 was intended to study permanently shadowed moon craters that are thought to contain water deposits and were confirmed by India's Chandrayaan-1 orbiter mission in 2008.

With nuclear-armed India emerging as the world's fifth-largest economy last year, Modi's nationalist government is eager to showcase India's rising standing as a technology and space powerhouse. A successful moon mission dovetails with Modi's image of an ascendant India asserting its place among the global elite and would help bolster his popularity ahead of a crucial general election next year.

The anticipation for a successful landing rose after Russia's failed attempt and as India's regional rival China reaches for new milestones in space. In May, China launched a three-person crew for its orbiting space station and hopes to put astronauts on the moon before the end of the decade. Relations between India and China have plunged since deadly border clashes in 2020.

Numerous countries and private companies are racing to successfully land a spacecraft on the lunar surface. In April, a Japanese company's spacecraft apparently crashed while attempting to land on the moon. An Israeli nonprofit tried to achieve a similar feat in 2019, but its spacecraft was destroyed on impact.

Japan plans to launch a lunar lander to the moon over the weekend as part of an X-ray telescope mission, and two U.S. companies also are vying to put landers on the moon by the end of the year, one of them at the south pole. In the coming years, NASA plans to land astronauts at the lunar south pole, taking advantage of the frozen water in craters.

• Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft crashes into the moon
• Humans are heading back to the moon — and Canada is playing a bigger role than you may realize

NASA administrator Bill Nelson tweeted via X: "Congratulations ISRO on your successful Chandrayaan-3 lunar South Pole landing! And congratulations to #India on being the 4th country to successfully soft-land a spacecraft on the Moon. We're glad to be your partner on this mission!"

Pallava Bagla, a science writer and co-author of books on India's space exploration, said the Russian failure days earlier did not put India off. He also said lessons learned from India's failed mission four years ago were incorporated and a flawless mission was executed on Wednesday.

"Indians didn't get derailed. They continued the journey with strength and confidence that paid off," he said.

WATCH | Former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino discusses India's successful moon landing:

India's moon landing a 'major step,' says former astronaut

Related stories.

• Her husband was a victim of anti-Muslim hate in India. A research group warns it's on the rise

Add some “good” to your morning and evening.

The environment is changing. This newsletter is your weekly guide to what we’re doing about it.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

India lands spacecraft near south pole of moon in historic first

Vikram lander touches down at lunar south pole shortly after 6pm India time

India has become the first country to successfully land a spacecraft near the south pole of the moon, in a historic moment that drew cheers at watching parties around the country.

“India is on the moon,” Sreedhara Panicker Somanath, the chair of the Indian Space Research Organisation, said as the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft’s Vikram lander touched down shortly after 6pm (1230 BST) near the little-explored lunar south pole in a world first for any space programme.

The successful landing marks India’s emergence as a space power as the government looks to spur investment in private space launches and related satellite-based businesses.

People across the country were glued to television screens as the spacecraft approached territory that scientists believe could hold vital reserves of frozen water and precious elements.

“This is a victory cry of a new India,” said the prime minister, Narendra Modi , who was seen waving the Indian flag as he watched the landing from South Africa, where he is attending the Brics summit. “We are witnessing history.”

A wave of nervous excitement has gripped Indians in recent days as the scheduled descent approached. Temples and mosques held special prayers for a safe landing. On the banks of the River Ganges in Varanasi, Hindu monks bestowed blessings on the mission and blew conch shells.

At street parties on Wednesday evening, Indians celebrated the double triumph of being the first to land on the south pole and the fourth to land on the moon.

In the final few minutes before touchdown, the lander executed a complex manoeuvre, slowing down from 3,730 miles an hour to nearly zero and turning from a horizontal to a vertical position.

The right tilt and thrust at this moment were vital. If too much force was applied, the lander would have toppled. Too little force and it might have hit the lunar surface at the wrong place.

It was this end manoeuvre that went wrong in the final few minutes of India’s last moon mission in 2019, when the lander failed to change position and hurtled towards the surface during the final braking phase.

Chandrayaan-3 – “moon craft” in Sanskrit – took off from a launchpad in Sriharikota in southern India on 14 July, taking much longer to reach the moon than the Apollo missions in the 1960s and 70s, which arrived in a matter of days.

India is using rockets much less powerful than the US did back then. Instead, the probe orbited Earth several times to gain speed before embarking on its month-long lunar trajectory.

If all goes to plan, a rover called Pragyaan, the Sanskrit word for wisdom, will roll out of the belly of the lander on a ramp then roam around the moon’s surface for two weeks. It has been designed to take pictures, conduct experiments on the geology and the origins of the Earth, and investigate the presence of water ice.

If found in significant quantities, water ice could allow future crew missions to set up base there as it could be used to extract oxygen and fuel. Some scientists believe that the south pole, which is hidden from Earth’s view and is full of craters and trenches, may be the most promising site for a future base.

India’s successful landing comes days after Russia said its first moon mission in 47 years, which also targeted the south pole, had failed after its Luna-25 spacecraft spun out of control and crashed . Russia’s head of the state-controlled space corporation, Roscosmos, attributed the failure to lack of expertise due to the long break in lunar research that followed the last Soviet mission to the moon in 1976.

The former Soviet Union, the US and China have already achieved a soft landing on the moon but in another region, near the moon’s equator.

With nuclear-armed India emerging as the world’s fifth-largest economy last year, Modi’s nationalist government is eager to showcase the country’s rising standing as a technology and space powerhouse. A successful moon mission dovetails with Modi’s image of an ascendant India asserting its place among the global elite and would help bolster his popularity ahead of a crucial general election next year.

The anticipation for a successful landing rose after Russia’s failed attempt and as India’s regional rival China reaches for new milestones in space. In May, China launched a three-person crew for its orbiting space station and hopes to put astronauts on the moon before the end of the decade.

• South and central Asia
• Narendra Modi

More on this story

Bases, experiments, mining: the race to protect the surface of the moon

Aditya-L1: India’s solar mission reaches sun’s orbit

Japan’s moon lander survives two-week lunar night after wonky landing

India launches space mission to the sun – video

Private moon lander lifts off aiming for first US lunar touchdown in 52 years

India launches space mission to the sun a week after moon landing

Japan’s Slim spacecraft lands on moon but struggles to generate power

India’s rover takes walk on the moon after frenzied celebrations

India’s south pole moon landing is big business for global space race

Doomed Peregrine moon lander on course for fiery return to Earth

Most viewed.

Accessibility links

• Skip to content
• Accessibility Help

News Navigation

Breaking breaking news, media player.

India makes history as Chandrayaan-3 lands near Moon's south pole

Related video and audio.

Play video India PM Modi speaks after Chandrayaan-3's historic landing from BBC India PM Modi speaks after Chandrayaan-3's historic landing

Play video 'My goodness!' - BBC reporter's live reaction to historic moon landing from BBC 'My goodness!' - BBC reporter's live reaction to historic moon landing

Play video Watch India’s successful landing on the Moon from BBC Watch India’s successful landing on the Moon

Play video Watch Chandrayaan-3's historic journey from BBC Watch Chandrayaan-3's historic journey

Play video Watch: India prays for the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 from BBC Watch: India prays for the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3

Play video Watch: The moment India launched historic Moon mission from BBC Watch: The moment India launched historic Moon mission

Play video Modi consoles scientist after moon-lander setback from BBC Modi consoles scientist after moon-lander setback

And we'll keep you signed in.

Sign in or Register

Got a TV Licence?

You need one to watch live TV on any channel or device, and BBC programmes on iPlayer. It’s the law.

Live Reporting

• Related Stories

Edited by Nathan Williams

All times stated are UK

Thanks for joining us

We're ending our live coverage now, but thanks for joining us as we've reported the tense descent and moments of jubilation as the Chandrayaan-3 achieved its goal of a soft landing near the Moon's south pole.

Want to read more?

Take a look at what happened today: India makes historic landing near Moon's south pole

Find out why it's such a big deal: The race to unravel the mysteries of Moon's south pole

Or relive the moment the lander touched down and watch our correspondent's live reaction to it.

This page was brought to you by teams in Delhi and London, including Sharanya Harishikesh, Vikas Pandey, Nikita Mandhani, Meryl Sebastian, Zoya Mateen, Ali Abbas Ahmadi, Jacqueline Howard, Gabriela Pomeroy, Jack Burgess and Joel Guinto. It was edited by Geeta Pandey, Dulcie Lee, Nathan Williams and Heather Sharp.

What's been happening?

India's Chandrayaan-3 mission has made history by landing safely near the south pole of the Moon. We'll soon be closing our live coverage, but here's a quick recap before we go:

• India’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is the first to ever land near the lunar south pole , a completely unexplored part of the Moon
• The control room at India's space agency ISRO went wild, with scientists cheering and punching the air as the craft touched down
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared " India is now on the Moon!" and "the sky is not the limit" as he followed the launch by video link from South Africa where he is attending the Brics summit
• The lander has already sent back images of the Moon's surface - next, all going well, a six-wheeled rover will roll out of its belly and roam around the rocks and craters gathering crucial data and images to be sent back to Earth for analysis
• With this, India joins a select group of countries – the US, Soviet Union and China – that have successfully landed a spacecraft on the Moon

Riches to be found at the Moon's desolate south pole

Rebecca Morelle

Science editor

The lunar south pole is a desolate place - its surface, strewn with boulders and pitted with giant craters, sees little sunlight.

But there are riches to be had there.

It’s thought to hold important minerals - and some are eyeing the polar region as a site for future mining.

But its most important resource is its water. The huge craters - permanently in shadow - hold ice.

And not only would this be vital for human visitors - Nasa’s Artemis mission is eventually aiming for a moon base here - but water when it’s split into hydrogen and oxygen could be used as a future fuel for hopping off to other parts of the solar system.

But the water also holds some scientific treasures too.

It’s thought that water on the Moon comes from space rocks that crashed into the lunar surface early in its history – and it’s been preserved, frozen in time.

And studying it could give us new insight into the beginnings of the solar system.

Putin sends 'heartfelt congratulations' to India

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have offered their congratulations to India for its successful soft-landing on the Moon, days after the Russian attempt spiralled out of control and crashed .

Putin sent his "heartfelt congratulations" to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said the success was a "testament to the impressive progress made by India", Russia's state-owned news agency Tass quoted the Kremlin as saying.

Lavrov told his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar: "I salute you. Really, really impressive. Congratulations."

Russian space agency Roscosmos also sent its congratulations to the Indian space agency.

New image shows lander's leg on surface of the Moon

A little while ago we brought you image s taken by the lander as it descended - India's space agency Isro has tweeted an image showing the landing site.

One of the legs of the Vikram lander is visible, as well as its shadow.

The image was taken by the craft's camera after it successfully landed on a "relatively flat" part of the Moon's surface, according to the tweet by Isro.

In pictures: Moments of celebration

What's the evidence that the Moon has water?

Soutik Biswas

India Correspondent

There are several pieces of evidence consistent with water on the Moon, says Simeon Barber, a planetary scientist at the UK's Open University, who also works with the European Space Agency.

In 2018, data from a Nasa instrument carried by Chandrayaan-1 revealed water ice or hydroxyl - a molecule containing one hydrogen atom and one oxygen atom - in parts of the Moon that are permanently shadowed.

Data from Nasa's LCROSS satellite , which crashed into a crater near the Moon’s south pole in 2009, also showed water ice in the plume kicked up on impact.

Scientists have lab analyses of lunar samples (Apollo, Luna missions) and meteorites which show elevated levels of water in some parts of the sample like volcanic glass beads.

"All of the above could be explained by water or hydroxyl on the Moon, controlled by temperature differences - but the different data sets do not always correlate neatly," Prof Barber says.

The importance of lander missions such as Chandrayaan-3 is that they will provide "ground truth" for all of these remote measurements - providing detail at the very local scale.

But the main caveat is that neither Chandrayaan-3 nor the doomed Luna-25 had payloads "optimised" for the detection and measurement of water ice, Prof Barber says.

"They will provide unique information, but we still need dedicated instruments to be landed on the Moon to make more precise measurements."

New images of Moon's surface taken by lander

These Images, taken during the Chandrayaan-3 lander's descent to the Moon, have just been released.

Isro shared the pictures on social media and says they were taken by the lander's horizontal velocity camera.

Moon landing shows India's technological sophistication - researcher

We've just heard from Dr Raji Rajagopalan, director of the Centre for Security, Strategy and Technology at the Observer Research Foundation think tank, based in Delhi.

She says the moon landing is not only a matter of national pride, but shows the world how sophisticated and mature India's space program is.

"This is a validation of many of the advanced technologies that the space agency has developed," Rajagopalan says.

When India's space programme began, interplanetary or deep space missions were not part of the goals, but the development of its capabilities has established it as a global space power.

"India's attempt is not duplicating what others have done, but complementing it: we want to expand humanity's understanding of the lunar surface," she adds.

Where spacecraft have landed on the Moon

Only four countries have successfully landed a craft on the moon - the US, the former Soviet Union, China and now India.

India, however, is the first to land a spacecraft on the lunar south pole.

Take a closer look at all the successful landings.

Why explore the Moon's south pole?

The Moon's south pole, according to Nasa, is full of "mystery, science and intrigue".

There are deep craters which have been shielded from sunlight for billions of years, where temperatures can plummet to astonishing lows of -248C (-414F).

Water is one key reason why scientists want to explore the area around the lunar south pole.

Scientists believe frozen water might have accumulated in cold polar regions over millions of years and could provide a unique sample for scientists to analyse and understand the history of water in our solar system.

If the water ice on the Moon turns out to be possible to extract, some hope it could eventually be used by astronauts, reducing the amount of water that would have be blasted into space on crewed missions.

Also, water molecules can be broken into hydrogen and oxygen atoms - which could perhaps one day be used as propellants for rockets.

Read more here .

What happens next?

Geeta Pandey

BBC News, Delhi

Now that the Vikram lander had touched down, it will have to wait for a few hours for the dust to settle. Literally.

After that, panels on one of its sides will open and a ramp will be deployed to enable Pragyaan, the rover, to slide down to the surface.

It will then begin the Moon walk - moving at a speed of 1cm per second, it will roam around the rocks and craters, gathering crucial data and images.

Pragyaan will only communicate with the lander which will send the information to the orbiter from Chandrayaan-2 - which is still circling the Moon - to pass it on to the Earth for analysis.

The landing coincides with the start of a lunar day – a day on the Moon equals 28 days on Earth and this will mean the lander and rover will have 14 days of sunlight to charge their batteries. Once night falls, they will discharge and stop working. It is not yet clear whether they will come back to life when the next lunar day starts.

The lander and the rover are carrying five scientific instruments which will help find out what goes on the Moon's surface and above and below it.

'Incredible!' - ESA and Nasa chiefs react

Both the US space agency, Nasa, and the European space agency helped Isro scientists to track the Chandrayaan-3 mission at times when it was out of the vision of India's own space tracking station.

Now the heads of both have expressed enthusiastic congratulations on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Quote Message: Congratulations @isro on your successful Chandrayaan-3 lunar South Pole landing! And congratulations to #India on being the 4th country to successfully soft-land a spacecraft on the Moon. We’re glad to be your partner on this mission! from Bill Neslon Nasa administrator Congratulations @isro on your successful Chandrayaan-3 lunar South Pole landing! And congratulations to #India on being the 4th country to successfully soft-land a spacecraft on the Moon. We’re glad to be your partner on this mission! Bill Neslon Nasa administrator

The director general of the European Space Agency, Josef Aschbacher, also thanks ESA Operations for their "precious support" in this process.

"We, too, are learning great lessons and providing crucial expertise," he adds.

Quote Message: Incredible! Congratulations to @isro, #Chandrayaan_3, and to all the people of India!! What a way to demonstrate new technologies AND achieve India's first soft landing on another celestial body. Well done, I am thoroughly impressed. And kudos once again to @esaoperations for your precious support through this process. We, too, are learning great lessons and providing crucial expertise. from Josef Aschbacher Director General, ESA Incredible! Congratulations to @isro, #Chandrayaan_3, and to all the people of India!! What a way to demonstrate new technologies AND achieve India's first soft landing on another celestial body. Well done, I am thoroughly impressed. And kudos once again to @esaoperations for your precious support through this process. We, too, are learning great lessons and providing crucial expertise. Josef Aschbacher Director General, ESA

In pictures: India celebrates Moon landing

Once in a lifetime event, says Indian president

India's President Droupadi Murmu called Chandrayaan-3's soft landing on the Moon "a momentous occasion".

"Our scientists have not only made history but also remade the idea of geography," she said.

Ms Murmu called it an event that "happens once in a lifetime".

"I congratulate Isro and everybody involved in this mission and wish them greater accomplishments ahead," she said.

Quote Message: The success of Chandrayaan-3, I believe, is also a major achievement for the whole of human kind." The success of Chandrayaan-3, I believe, is also a major achievement for the whole of human kind."

How has India kept the cost of its space programme so low?

The cost of India’s space missions is back in focus after the country’s Chandrayaan-3 made a successful soft landing on the Moon.

The mission costs 6.1bn rupees ($75m; £58m). This is less than half the $200m cost of Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft which crashed on Sunday.

India’s previous Moon and Mars missions were also carried out at a modest cost, according to reports by Indian media.

They attribute this to Isro's efforts to prevent “wastage of products”.

Explaining why India’s Mars mission cost less than its US counterpart, UK space scientist Prof Andrew Coates told the BBC that India restricted the payload of the Mangalyaan craft to 15kg, which kept the successful mission “small”.

India’s launch costs could go lower still as the country plans to build a new spaceport at Kulasekarapattinam in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, senior Isro scientists told BBC Tamil.

The port with an ideal launch location will reduce transportation costs.

Reported by the BBC's Nikhila Henry in Delhi

A look back at India's space programme

Zoya Mateen

When the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) was founded in 1969, its primary goal was fairly simple - to design and launch satellites for forecasting storms, mitigating floods and bolstering telecommunications in the country.

Now the space agency has made history after its Chandrayaan-3 became the first space mission to land near the south pole of the Moon

It’s a huge moment, especially for a country which operates on a fraction of what others spend on space exploration.

But behind the milestone mission, dubbed at the most ambitious yet for India, lies years of effort.

In the beginning, India space missions were carried out with the help of other countries and it wasn’t until the 1990s that Isro began to design and launch satellites on its own.

Since then the country has achieved significant milestones to emerge as a leader in space missions.

In 2009, India sent a robotic orbiter called Chandrayaan-1 to the moon, which helped discover that water ice can exist on the lunar surface.

In 2014, India successfully put a satellite into orbit around Mars, becoming the fourth nation to do so.

And in 2017, India created history by successfully launching 104 satellites on a single mission, overtaking the previous record of 37 satellites launched by Russia in 2014.

The journey has been hardly easy - and yet here we are.

'This is the work of a generation of scientists'

An overjoyed S Somnath, the chief of Isro, addressed a gathering short while ago.

He began his speech by thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "endless support and faith" in the space agency's work

"I also want to thank each and every person who prayed the mission is a success," he told a beaming crowd.

"This is not our work alone, this is the work of a generation of Isro scientists."

'My goodness!' - BBC reporter's live reaction to historic Moon landing

If you've not had enough emotion already, watch Samira Hussain go through a full rollercoaster of them as India successfully lands the Chandrayaan-3:

Video content

India becomes fourth country to touch down on moon.

This is a massive moment for India - and it bumps them up the space superpower list.

Landing on the Moon is far from easy – as Russia’s attempt this week highlighted – and many missions have failed, including India’s first attempt.

But it was second time lucky, and India now joins three other nations - the US, the former Soviet Union and China - who’ve successfully touched down on the lunar surface.

And they’re now ready to explore an area where no other spacecraft has been – the lunar south pole.

There’s growing scientific interest here. The craters in this region are permanently in shadow and contain frozen water.

This would be a crucial resource for future human exploration - Nasa’s Artemis mission, which is sending astronauts to the Moon, is targeting this region too.

Water would also be crucial for propelling us further out into the solar system.

Splitting it into its constituent parts of hydrogen and oxygen could provide a potential fuel for exploring places like Mars and beyond.

BBC News Services

• On your mobile
• Get news alerts
• Contact BBC News

India moon landing updates: Chandrayaan-3 makes space history

All the udpates on the Indian moon landing as they happened.

This blog is now closed. Thank you for joining us. These were the updates on the Indian lunar landing on Wednesday, August 23:

• India successfully lands a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole, making it the first country to do so.
• India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the mission’s success “belongs to all of humanity”.
• Chandrayaan-3 – “Mooncraft” in Sanskrit – took off from a launchpad in Sriharikota in southern India on July 14.
• Scientists believe the south pole’s unchartered territory could hold important reserves of frozen water and precious elements.
• In India, people have crowded around televisions in offices, shops, restaurants and homes to watch the moon landing live.

Dubai congratulates India

Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has joined other world leaders in hailing India’s successful moon landing.

“India continues to make history,” he said.

Congratulations to our friends in India for the successful landing on the moon. Nations are built through perseverance, India continues to make history. @narendramodi @PMOIndia — HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) August 23, 2023

‘Glad to be your partner’

Congratulations @isro on your successful  Chandrayaan-3 lunar South Pole landing! And congratulations to #India on being the 4th country to successfully soft-land a spacecraft on the Moon. We’re glad to be your partner on this mission! https://t.co/UJArS7gsTv — Bill Nelson (@SenBillNelson) August 23, 2023

‘Power the imagination’

The US Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs has said Chandrayaan-3 success will “power” the future.

“Your success will power the imagination and light the future of people around the world,” the department posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Congratulations to our #ArtemisAccords partner @isro on the successful landing of #Chandrayaan -3 on the Moon. Your success will power the imagination and light the future of people around the world. 🌕🚀 — U.S. Department of State | Science Diplomacy USA (@SciDiplomacyUSA) August 23, 2023

Chandrayaan-3 Mission: Updates: The communication link is established between the Ch-3 Lander and MOX-ISTRAC, Bengaluru. Here are the images from the Lander Horizontal Velocity Camera taken during the descent. #Chandrayaan_3 #Ch3 pic.twitter.com/ctjpxZmbom — ISRO (@isro) August 23, 2023

Putin congratulates India

Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated India for an “impressive” achievement for landing its probe on the moon, days after Moscow’s own mission crashed.

Putin sent his “heartfelt congratulations” to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi according to the Kremlin’s website.

“This is a big step forward in space exploration and, of course, a testament to the impressive progress made by India in the field of science and technology,” the Kremlin statement read.

Chief justice hails ‘milestone’ moon landing

The chief justice of India has said the moon landing will lead to “new avenues” in scientific research and discovery.

“The success of the lunar mission places India in a select group of nations to successfully achieve a landing on the lunar surface,” DY Chandrachud said. “This represents a milestone in the march of the nation.”

Landing on south pole opens possibility for lunar base: Academic

The Chandrayaan-3 landing will help countries in their attempts to build a future lunar base, a British academic says.

“India being only the fourth nation to actually manage a successful soft landing on the moon is incredible,” Ian Whittaker, a senior lecturer in physics at Nottingham Trent University, told Al Jazeera.

“Landing on the south pole, or near it, is really important because it’s the sort of area we’d be looking for a lunar base.

“There’s water there, which was one of the findings of Chandrayaan-1. This water can be used for a lot of things. We could also look for building materials.”

Moon landing ‘very important’ for science: Expert

Carla Filotico, a partner and managing director at consultancy SpaceTec Partners, said the landing would allow India to explore whether there was ice water on the moon.

“This is very important for cumulative data and science on the geology of the moon,” she said, according to the Reuters news agency.

‘Important for all mankind’: Russia

Russia’s space agency Roskosmos has joined in together with others to hail India for the moon landing.

“Roskosmos congratulates Indian colleagues on the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft,” it said in a post on its Telegram channel.

“Exploration of the moon is important for all mankind. In the future it may become a platform for deep space exploration.”

‘Jubilation’ around India

The director general of the Indian Space Association says the landing is a historic and special moment for everyone in India.

“There were more than a million hearts beating louder and faster, waiting in the very critical last 20 minutes of the lander coming down,” Anil Kumar Bhatt told Al Jazeera.

“There is jubilation all around. I’m here in a college near Delhi, and my God, the excitement is remarkable. It’s like we won a World Cup match,” he said.

Gandhi hails moon landing, praise scientists

Indian leader Rahul Gandhi has said the moon landing was a result of “tremendous ingenuity and hard work” by the country’s scientific community.

“Since 1962, India’s space program has continued to scale new heights and inspire generations of young dreamers,” he posted on social media platform X.

Congratulations to Team ISRO for today's pioneering feat. #Chandrayaan3 ’s soft landing on the uncharted lunar South Pole is the result of decades of tremendous ingenuity and hard work by our scientific community. Since 1962, India’s space program has continued to scale new… — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 23, 2023

India’s moon landing a ‘momentous’ occasion

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated India on the historic moon landing.

“This for us, as the BRICS family, is a momentous occasion and we rejoice with you. We join you in the joy of this great achievement,” he said.

‘Incredible’ event, European space chief says

The director general of the European Space Agency, Josef Aschbacher, calls the landing of  Chandrayaan-3 an “incredible” event.

“What a way to demonstrate new technologies and achieve India’s first soft landing on another celestial body,” he said. “Well done. I am thoroughly impressed.”

‘Collective success’

President of India’s Congress Party and leader of the opposition Mallikarjun Kharge says the the success of Chandrayaan-3 was the “collective success of every Indian”.

“An elated nation with 140 crore (1.4 billion) aspirations witnessed today yet another achievement in its six-decade-long space programme.”

India becomes fourth nation to land on moon

India moon landing ‘historic day’: PM Modi

As India became the first nation to land a craft near the moon’s south pole, Modi called it a “historic day”.

“Historic day for India’s space sector,” he wrote on the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter.

ISRO celebrates successful landing

Chandrayaan-3 Mission: 'India🇮🇳, I reached my destination and you too!' : Chandrayaan-3 Chandrayaan-3 has successfully soft-landed on the moon 🌖!. Congratulations, India🇮🇳! #Chandrayaan_3 #Ch3 — ISRO (@isro) August 23, 2023

India successfully lands on the moon

‘Not India’s mission alone’

“India’s successful moon mission is not just India’s alone,” Modi says, adding that mission is based on a “human-centric” approach and its success belongs to all of humanity.

‘India is on the moon’

“We have achieved soft landing on the moon. India is on the moon,” says Sreedhara Panicker Somanath, chairman of the ISRO.

Lander module has landed ‘safely and softly’

Mission control erupts in celebration as it is announced that the lander module has landed “safely and softly”.

Fewer than 100 metres from moon’s surface

A roaring applause breaks out in the mission control headquarters as the lander module reaches 100 metres (328ft) from the surface of the moon.

Modi watching from South Africa

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has joined the mission control headquarters virtually from South Africa, where he is attending the BRICS summit.

‘Very close to moon surface’

The Lander has reached a distance of 3km from the surface of the moon, bringing it “very close” to the final phase.

How India landed on the moon and flew to Mars at a fraction of the cost of NASA and Russia missions

• India is the first to ever land near the moon's south pole and it succeeded without breaking the bank.
• The Chandrayaan-3 moon mission cost far less than Russia's moon mission or NASA's planned rover .
• India may have kept the price tag low by building a small lander and taking the moon one step at a time.

India's first moon landing , which touched down near the lunar south pole on August 23, was both historic and budget-friendly.

At about $74 million, India's moon mission was less than half the cost of Russia's south-pole lander ($200 million), which misfired its engines and crashed on August 20, as well as the estimated budget of NASA's planned VIPER rover to the lunar south pole ($433.5 million).

The Indian mission, called Chandrayaan-3, which is the first spacecraft to ever touch down near the moon's south pole , was also cheaper than the Hollywood space blockbusters "Gravity" ($100 million), "The Martian" ($108 million), and "Interstellar" ($165 million).

"Good for India," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote, commenting on the mission's low price tag in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Asked how they managed to keep costs so low, S. Somanath, the director of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), told reporters with a laugh: "I won't disclose such secrets. We don't want everyone else to become so cost-effective," according to the New York Times .

Unlike NASA , which is required to publish detailed budget proposals, India has shared very little information about its budgeting. So, it's unclear what went into the $74 million cost estimate.

That's also a conversion from Indian currency, rupees, so the comparison isn't apples to apples.

Still, the small price tag can be partially explained by the small size and scope of the mission, and the fact that it was a redo of an earlier flight.

Small spacecraft, small costs

India's main strategy for being frugal on the moon seems to be that it kept the spacecraft small.

Weighing in at just 1,752 kilograms, according to ISRO , Chandrayaan-3 was likely relatively cheap to launch.

"Small landers imply smaller launch vehicles, smaller components, less materials," Robert Braun, head of space exploration at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, told Insider. "If the scope of the mission is small, then the cost is likely to be small."

Related stories

That's a lesson that ISRO first learned in 2014, when they became the first country to successfully insert a spacecraft in Mars orbit on the first try.

By keeping the payload light, adapting technologies ISRO had used before, and keeping workers' salaries lean, Wired reported, the agency managed to keep the receipt for the Mars mission to $74 million. (Same as Chandrayaan-3. Weird coincidence!)

This is markedly different from how NASA's Mars orbiter, MAVEN , operated. 

India "kept it small," Andrew Coates, a physics professor who has worked on European and NASA Mars missions, told the BBC in 2014. "The payload weighs only about 15 kg. Compare that with the complexity in the payload in MAVEN and that will explain a lot about the cost."

The proof of concept may lie in comparing the programs' receipts. The MAVEN mission cost NASA $582.5 million, according to the Planetary Society.

But Chandrayaan-3 was actually heavier than Russia's failed mission, called Luna-25, which weighed about 1,237 kg by the time it reached lunar orbit, according to Anatoly Zak, an English-language reporter covering Russia's space programs.

That's where India's other strategy may come in to beat out Russia's price tag.

Start small and build step by step, to the moon and beyond

This wasn't India's first attempt to land near the moon's south pole. A previous mission, Chandrayaan-2, crashed there in 2019.

The costs of research, development, and testing that went into that first attempt may not be included in the cost of Chandrayaan-3.

"They've approached their lunar program as a series of missions," Braun said. "That is a way of managing cost."

India's moon program began with Chandrayaan-1, which sent a spacecraft into lunar orbit and dropped a hard-impact probe to intentionally crash into the lunar surface.

That's a much easier and cheaper mission to start building new capabilities, then build up to a soft landing and a small rover.

NASA has taken a similar approach to Mars, and it has "worked very well," Braun said.

Compare that to Russia's Luna-25 mission. It was the country's first mission to the moon since the 1970s and the fall of the Soviet Union. It aimed to make a soft landing on the south pole of the moon, where nobody had succeeded yet.

"They went with a pretty hard mission, right out of the gate," Braun said, adding, "I think an incremental approach actually is a great way to pursue space exploration. One step at a time."

Correction: August 28, 2023 — An earlier version of this article misstated Robert Braun's title. He is head of space exploration at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, not head of a Space Exploration Center there. This story has been updated. It was originally published on August 24, 2023.

Editor's note September 1, 2023: This article has been updated to clarify that India's spacecraft landed in the lunar south pole region, not on the point of the lunar south pole.

Watch: India becomes the first country to land on the moon's south pole

• Main content

The Economic Times daily newspaper is available online now.

Lunar eclipse 2024: is chandra grahan on holi visible in india check key details here.

On March 25, 2024, a penumbral lunar eclipse will coincide with the festival of Holi. This subtle celestial event occurs during syzygy alignment when Earth's shadow partially covers the full moon. Despite its occurrence, Holi celebrations and rituals remain unaffected. The eclipse will not be visible from India but can be observed in regions across Europe, Africa, and certain parts of South America.

Is today's Chandra Grahan 2024 visible in India?

What are the different kinds of lunar eclipses there are three types of lunar eclipses:.

• Penumbral eclipse: This type is the least noticeable, as the Moon only passes through the Earth’s penumbral shadow, resulting in a slight shading on the Moon’s surface.
• Partial lunar eclipse: During this eclipse, only a section of the Moon moves through the umbra, causing a portion of the Moon to appear darkened.
• Total lunar eclipse: In this scenario, the entire Moon enters the Earth’s umbral shadow, often taking on a reddish hue due to the Earth’s atmosphere filtering and bending sunlight.

Read More News on

Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.

Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online.

Pay for offer: How IT freshers can protect themselves from hiring scams

Won't be surprised if 3PL accounts for half of total warehouse leasing in future: Allcargo executive

Toyota, Hitachi return around 100% in one year. Is Japan finally out of the woods?

Stock Radar: SRF breaks above downward sloping trendline on weekly charts; time to buy?

SBI’s parabolic rally has seen MFs book profits. Will investors continue to bet on Khara’s optimism?

Stock picks of the week: 5 stocks with consistent score improvement and upside potential of up to 44%

Find this comment offensive?

Choose your reason below and click on the Report button. This will alert our moderators to take action

Reason for reporting:

Your Reason has been Reported to the admin.

To post this comment you must

Log In/Connect with:

Fill in your details:

Will be displayed

Will not be displayed

Share this Comment:

Uh-oh this is an exclusive story available for selected readers only..

Worry not. You’re just a step away.

Prime Account Detected!

It seems like you're already an ETPrime member with

Login using your ET Prime credentials to enjoy all member benefits

Log out of your current logged-in account and log in again using your ET Prime credentials to enjoy all member benefits.

To read full story, subscribe to ET Prime

₹34 per week

Billed annually at ₹2499 ₹1749

Super Saver Sale - Flat 30% Off

On ET Prime Membership

Sign in to read the full article

You’ve got this prime story as a free gift.

Subscribe Now

(Credit card mandatory)

You can cancel your subscription anytime

(Pay Using Netbanking/UPI/Debit Card)

₹399 /month

Monthly PLAN

Billed Amount ₹399

No Trial Period

₹208 /month

Yearly PLAN

Billed Amount ₹2,499

15 Days Trial + Includes DocuBay and TimesPrime Membership.

₹150 /month

2-Year PLAN

Billed Amount ₹3,599

7 Days Trial

(Save 40.0%)

15 Days Trial

Get ET Prime for just ₹2499 ₹1749/yr

Offer Exclusively For You

Save up to Rs. 700/-

ON ET PRIME MEMBERSHIP

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Get Flat 40% Off

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

ET Prime at ₹ 49 for 1 month

Holi Offer on ETPrime

Get flat 20% off

To Read the full Story, Subscribe to ET Prime

Access the exclusive Economic Times stories, Editorial and Expert opinion

Unlock this story and enjoy all members-only benefits.

• 8 insight-rich stories published daily
• 4000+ in-depth Stock Reports
• Print Edition, the digital Newspaper
• 2 Stock Researches everyday

90 Days Prime access worth Rs999 unlocked for you

Exclusive Economic Times Stories, Editorials & Expert opinion across 20+ sectors

Stock analysis. Market Research. Industry Trends on 4000+ Stocks

​Get 1 Year Complimentary Subscription of TOI+ worth Rs.799/-​

Stories you might be interested in

Watch CBS News

How to see the penumbral lunar eclipse, March's full Worm Moon

By Aliza Chasan

Updated on: March 24, 2024 / 5:14 PM EDT / CBS News

Astronomy fans can check out a unique Worm Moon this month as March's full moon rises during a penumbral lunar eclipse.

March's full moon will reach peak illumination at 1 a.m. ET on Monday, but it will appear full through Tuesday morning, according to NASA . The Old Farmer's Almanac details specific moonrise times for different ZIP codes across the United States. 

As the full moon rises during the late evening of March 24 into the early morning hours of March 25, it will travel through the Earth's penumbra — the faint outer part of its shadow — creating a penumbral eclipse. 

What is a penumbral eclipse and where will it be visible?

The  penumbral eclipse is one of three different types of lunar eclipses. There's also the total lunar eclipse and the partial lunar eclipse.

The penumbral lunar eclipse will be visible to all of North and South America, according to NASA. It's easy to miss if you don't know it's happening.

During the eclipse, the moon will dim very slightly for a few nighttime hours. The moon will start entering the Earth's shadow at 12:53 a.m. ET. It will reach the point of greatest eclipse at 3:13 a.m, with 96% of the moon in partial shadow. The moon will exit the shadow at 5:32 a.m.

The next lunar eclipse, a partial eclipse, will take place on Sept. 18. It will be visible in parts of the Americas, Europe and Africa. Astronomy fans won't see a total lunar eclipse until March of next year. 

Why is March's full moon known as a Worm Moon?

Full moon names often come from seasons, historical crops and the behavior of certain animals. The " Worm Moon " moniker may have come from the earthworms typically found as spring nears, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. The name may also refer to worms, or beetle larvae, coming out from bark as trees thaw from the winter.

March's full moon also goes by several other names referring to animals, including the Eagle Moon, Goose Moon and the Crow Comes Back Moon. It's also known as the Sugar Moon, the Wind Strong Moon and the Sore Eyes Moon.

This year, March's full moon is also known as the Paschal Full Moon because it will be the first full moon of spring.

Look up — what else can you see in the sky this spring?

April will feature one of the most hotly anticipated events of the year — April 8's total solar eclipse . The month also includes the Lyrid meteor shower, which will peak between April 21 and 22. Right after that, April's full moon, known as the Pink Moon, will reach peak illumination on April 23.

May's full moon, the Flower Moon, reaches peak illumination on May 23. 

Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.

More from CBS News

Star-studded Biden NYC fundraiser is expected to bring in over $25 million

How to watch today's Illinois vs. Iowa State men's NCAA March Madness Sweet 16 game: Livestream options, more

Girlfriend charged decades after man was killed in D.C.

What to know about the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore

• WEB STORIES New
• ENTERTAINMENT
• CAREER & CAMPUS
• INFOGRAPHICS
• ISL 2023-24

• Manorama Online
• Manorama News TV
• ManoramaMAX
• Radio Mango
• Subscription

Flying with your pet? Here are the guidelines you should follow

If a pet person is planning to fly out, the first concern would be whether their dear animals or birds could be carried onboard with them. The good news is that your pets won’t have to be ‘Home Alone’ as they can indeed fly with you but certain mandatory procedures have to be followed. The following are the guidelines for transporting pets on Air India flights. The requirements of other airlines are slightly different and therefore, you should refer to the individual airline's latest policies before deciding to travel with your pets. For example, Emirates brackets pets as check-in baggage and are transported only in the cargo compartment of the aircraft. Here is what you should know:

1) A no objection certificate (NOC) is mandatory to transport pets from and to India. The requisite NOC can be pocketed from the Office of Animal Quarantine and Certification Service (AQCS). 2) The pets could be transported only through the Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai airports. Moreover, the pets could be transported only through the airport from where the AQCS office issued the NOC.

3) It is mandatory to carry a veterinary doctor’s certificate mentioning that the pet has been properly vaccinated and is free from diseases such as rabies, canine distemper and rat fever. Anti-rabies vaccination is a must for dogs and cats that are three months or older. The vaccination should be administered one month before the date of the journey. 4) The cage used to carry pets should be soft and well-ventilated. The kennels for dogs should not exceed 46cmx18cmx46cm.

Aadujeevitham: What is the majestic ‘Valley of Moon’ in the film?

Aditi Rao Hydari - Siddharth wedding in Telangana: What's special about the venue?

5) If the pet is below 5kg, it can travel in the cabin and if it weighs between 5kg and 32kg, the pet is considered as checked-in baggage. The pets weighing over 32kg are transported as cargo. 6) Pregnant pets and pets below the age of eight weeks are not allowed to fly.

7) Only two pets are allowed in the cabin at a time and they cannot occupy passenger seats. 8) Dogs that are trained to guide visually challenged passengers and assist travellers with special needs can travel free of charge. All other pets need a ticket to travel according to their age and the weight of the cage.

9) The pets may be put in quarantine in the destination country and requisite documents for that should be kept handy. 10) Keep in mind that the rules regulating the transportation of pets vary from country to country. 11) Though Oman allows the import of pets, they are not allowed onboard long-haul flights via Oman.

12) Pet animals and birds can be transported to most of the Gulf countries from India but feathered friends are not allowed onboard long-haul flights transiting through West Asia. 13) Pet animals and birds cannot be transported to the UK under any circumstances.

Air India Express to add more services in the Muscat – Kannur route from April 1

Kerala – Gulf passenger ship service aims to facilitate journey for Rs 25,000

British Museum suing former curator: Alleges he stole 1,800 items

Gulf-Kerala ship service: Survey on to gauge expats’ opinion on fares, facilities

Bengaluru-Kerala trains change routes from April 1 due to maintenance works

Singapore plans to make visa process easy for Indians

Fly91 Airline: Special inaugural fare of Rs 1,991; Services to Lakshadweep from April

Long-awaited Mangaluru-Rameswaram train sanctioned, but no stop in Malappuram

• Astrology News

Full Moon in Virgo on March 24, 2024: Know its impact on all zodiac signs

• Sagittarius

Visual Stories

A screengrab of the video that went viral

With not even a month left for Lok Sabha elections 2024, a video showing a press conference under the banner of one 'Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh' is circulating on social media. The video claims that the Bharatiya Janata Party's parent organization, RSS, has extended its support to the multi-party Opposition coalition, Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), for the upcoming general elections.

In the viral video, a person named Janardhan Moon says that to defeat the BJP, they have pledged their support to the INDIA bloc. The video has been shared on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), with an X post gaining over 300,000 views and 6,600 likes at the time of writing. An archived version of one such post can be accessed here.

Image Credit: Screenshots of the viral posts. (Source: X/Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, the claim is misleading. The video doesn't show the BJP's ideological parent, the RSS, but a namesake organization, which is different from the body founded by Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in September 1925.

How did we find the truth?

We noticed that the logo in the top-right corner of the video read "Awaaz India". Taking a cue from this, we found that the entire press conference was published on a YouTube channel named 'AWAAZ INDIA TV' on March 24.

The video is titled 'Nagpur: RSS supported Congress, created uproar across the country PC of RSS Chief Janardan Moon, Abdul Pasha (sic)'. The viral clip runs from the 0:35 mark to the 2:55-minute timeframe of the 12-minute-long original footage.

Upon further research, we found that this Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, led by Janardhan Moon, has no relation to the RSS, which forms a part of the 'Sangh Parivar'-a collective of several right-wing organizations. The latter has been under the leadership of Mohan Mohan Bhagwat for over two decades.

According to a report by The Times of India dated January 22, 2019, the Bombay High Court rejected the plea filed by Janardhan Moon, a social worker, to register a non-proft named 'Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)'. The court stated that a society of the same name was already in existence, dismissing the plea.

Reports said that Janardhan Moon had already formed an organization named 'Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)' in 2017 and declared himself as its president. The organization had also unsuccessfully applied online for registration with the Nagpur Charity Commissioner in September 2017 before going to the high court.

Meanwhile, the original Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was established by Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925 in Nagpur, and Mohan Bhagwat was appointed as the Sarsanghchalak, or head of the organization, in 2009.

While the RSS led by Janardhan Moon and the RSS led by Mohan Bhagwat have the same name and spelling, they have distinct logos.

Comparison of the logos of two different organizations named RSS. (Source: YouTube/Wikipedia/Modified by Logically Facts)

Furthermore, neither Mohan Bhagwat nor the RSS have made any announcement extending their support to the INDIA bloc in the upcoming polls.

RSS figures call out namesake organization

Organiser, the weekly publication seen as the Mohan Bhagwat-led RSS' mouthpiece, took to X on March 26 to call out the namesake organization as "FAKE RSS".

After cursing #RSS for more than 75 years, #Congress and INDI Alliance have come up with their own 'FAKE RSS' to confuse voters A desperate attempt? #FakeRSS_Alert pic.twitter.com/UCdAxEpbdY — Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) March 26, 2024

Logically Facts reached out to RSS leader Dr. Manmohan Vaidya, who forwarded an official statement from the current spokesperson of the right-wing organization, Sunil Ambedkar. In the statement, Ambedkar hit out at Janardhan Moon, saying, "He is still trying to misguide people. So his actions will be challenged soon with the police and also with social media companies to remove related posts and videos."

Promoted Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com

We found that Rakesh Panday, who is the National Social Media & IT in-charge of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), an offshoot of the RSS, also took to X to call the namesake organization 'fake', further questioning the intention behind registering itself in the name of the existing RSS

RSS के नाम से कुछ लोग फर्जी संगठन बनाकर खुद को और अपने वामपंथी सहयोगियों को धोखा दे सकते है समाज को नहीं। संघ 1925 से देश और फिर दुनिया भर में कार्य कर रहा है। इनका दावा खोखला और राजनीतिक षड्यंत्र से प्रेरित है, जनार्दन मून और उसके गिरोह राष्ट्र विरोधी और मोदी विरोधियो के इशारे… pic.twitter.com/TicBRuN4Ik — Rakesh Pandey (@iRakeshPanday) March 26, 2024

The verdict

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), led by Mohan Bhagwat, has not extended its support to the INDIA bloc for the 2024 general election. A video of a leader from a different organization of the same name, with no relation to the original RSS, pledging their support to the opposition coalition, is being shared with this misleading claim.

This story was originally published by Logically Facts , and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective.  

Track Budget 2023 and get Latest News Live on NDTV.com.

Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world .

Track Latest News and Election Results Coverage Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.

Watch Live News:

When is the 2024 total solar eclipse? Your guide to glasses, forecast, where to watch.

We're less than two weeks away from the astronomical event of the decade: A total eclipse of the sun , which will grace the nation's skies from Texas to Maine on the afternoon of Monday, April 8 .

Millions of people are expected to travel to see the spectacle, which will also attract scientists from across the country to study its unique effects on the Earth and its atmosphere . (Meanwhile, brands such as Burger King, Pizza Hut, Applebee's and Sonic are getting in on the eclipse excitement too.)

The full total solar eclipse experience will plunge people along a narrow path into darkness midday, but people outside the path of totality can still use eclipse glasses to see the moon pass in front of the sun. It's an awesome and confusing sight on the ground and in the sky.

One task to do now is to get yourself a pair of special eclipse glasses (and luckily there's still time to score a free pair of eclipse glasses ). They're important eyewear during an eclipse because they will block out the sun's harmful rays, which could damage your eyes when you're looking at the sun — even if it's partially blocked.

Solar eclipse glasses are still readily available from plenty of vendors across the internet as of Thursday, March 28. But be wary of counterfeit or fake glasses , experts warned.

The other big factor everyone's anxiously awaiting is the weather forecast, which most experts say is still a bit far away for a specific forecast, though that hasn't stopped some meteorologists from issuing them already. But more detailed, realistic forecasts will start to roll in over the next few days.

Of particular interest will be the cloud forecast , as a deck of thick, low clouds would likely ruin the entire event. But if the clouds are higher up in the atmosphere, such as thin, wispy cirrus , they'd act to diffuse but not ruin the eclipse.

USA TODAY 10Best: 10 solar eclipse fun facts to share with your friends

There's plenty to know before the big day, which won't happen again for about two decades . Read on for answers for all your eclipse questions, including how to watch the eclipse , understand the eclipse and use eclipse glasses to stay safe .

WATCHING THE APRIL 2024 ECLIPSE

How do i watch the 2024 solar eclipse.

There are a few ways of watching the eclipse:

• Get the full experience in person : If you're in a narrow band of U.S. land that spans from Texas to Maine, you will see the moon block the sun and its shadow cast a night-like darkness over Earth for a few minutes. You'll briefly be able to look up without eye protection and see the moon block the sun.
• Watch from outside the path of totality : Much of the U.S. will get a partial view of the eclipse that isn't nearly as impressive as being in the path of totality. Earth won't be plunged into complete darkness and you'll have to wear protective eyewear to see the moon partially block the sun.
• Watch a livestream : Check back on April 8 for a video feed from the path of totality. It's not the same as being there in person, but hey, at least you won't have to sit in traffic .

Totality explained: The real April 2024 total solar eclipse happens inside the path of totality

What time is the solar eclipse on April 8?

The eclipse will begin in Texas at 1:27 p.m. CDT and end in Maine at 3:35 p.m. EDT, but the exact time of the eclipse varies by where you are in its path.

You can search by zip code to find the exact time for your location.

Where will the April eclipse be visible?

All of the lower 48 U.S. states will see the moon at least clip the sun, but that sight is a trifle compared to being in the path of totality.

Because the narrow path includes or is near some of the nation's largest cities, expect millions of people to crowd into a band of land a little over 100 miles wide that spans from the Texas/Mexico border to the Maine/Canada border.

Here are the major cities in each state where you can expect to experience totality (note that the included times do not account for when the partial eclipse begins and ends):

• Dallas, Texas: 1:40-1:44 p.m. CDT
• Idabel, Oklahoma: 1:45-1:49 p.m. CDT
• Little Rock, Arkansas: 1:51-1:54 p.m. CDT
• Poplar Bluff, Missouri: 1:56-2:00 p.m. CDT
• Paducah, Kentucky: 2-2:02 p.m. CDT
• Carbondale, Illinois: 1:59-2:03 p.m. CDT
• Evansville, Indiana: 2:02-2:05 p.m. CDT
• Cleveland, Ohio: 3:13-3:17 p.m. EDT
• Erie, Pennsylvania: 3:16-3:20 p.m. EDT
• Buffalo, New York: 3:18-3:22 p.m. EDT
• Burlington, Vermont: 3:26-3:29 p.m. EDT
• Lancaster, New Hampshire: 3:27-3:30 p.m. EDT
• Caribou, Maine: 3:32-3:34 p.m. EDT

Will clouds block the April 2024 eclipse?

It's too soon to say for sure, but history offers some clues.

Chances of cloudy skies are pretty high along much of the eclipse's northern path, and some areas such as Buffalo have about a 1-in-3 chance of clear skies in early April.

Skies are usually more clear to the south. Right along the Texas/Mexico border, chances of a clear sky can be nearly 75%.

Keep in mind that clouds don't always ruin an eclipse . High, wispy clouds won't spoil the show in the same way that low thick clouds would. In that case, you wouldn't be able to see the moon pass in front of the sun, but you would still notice a sudden darkness in the path of totality.

What dangers are associated with the eclipse?

The  eclipse , as exciting and fun as it promises to be, comes with a growing number of safety warnings — both for what will happen in the sky and what will happen on the ground.

In addition to the dangers of looking at the eclipse without proper eyewear, we've heard warnings about potentially dangerous  fake eclipse glasses , the possibility for increased  car  c rashes  around the time of the eclipse — and possible  air travel headaches  due to delayed or cancelled flights.

Where is the best place to watch the eclipse?

Texas is considered the best state for eclipse viewing . There's a good chance the skies will be clear and its location along the southern path of the eclipse means totality will last a little longer.

A few lucky travelers will also have a front-row seat with unobstructed views — from a plane .

Will traffic be bad?

Most likely, yes — especially after the eclipse ends . Millions of people will crowd into the narrow path of totality, then many will attempt to leave all at once as soon as the eclipse is over.

When a total solar eclipse passed over the U.S. in 2017, reports say some traffic jams didn't fully clear for more than 12 hours. Even worse, a recent study reported that the 2017 eclipse "was associated with increased risks of a fatal traffic crash" – potentially as much as a 31% increase, the study said .

Also worth noting: The eclipse is expected to have impacts for air travel as well.

Why are schools closing for the eclipse?

Primarily out of a concern for students' safety, schools across the country have given students  the day of the eclipse, April 8,  as a day off, a half day or a chance for e-learning. In Tennessee, for example, officials also say it gives students a chance  to experience the eclipse with their family and friends .

UNDERSTANDING THE 2024 ECLIPSE

What is a solar eclipse definition explained..

A total solar eclipse happens when three celestial spheres — the sun, moon and Earth — line up in a specific way in space.

According to NASA, a solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth. That alignment casts a moving shadow on Earth that either fully or partially blocks the sun's light in some areas. This leads to a period of partial or full darkness on a narrow stretch of Earth. 

The path is so narrow because of the huge distance and size of the sun — as well as the moon's distance from Earth. That focuses the moon's shadow on an area of land much smaller than the moon itself. The movement of the shadow across the land happens as the Earth's rotation interacts with the orbit of the moon.

A total eclipse only happens occasionally because the moon doesn't orbit in the exact same plane as the sun and Earth do. In addition, a solar eclipse can only happen during a new moon.

What's special about a total solar eclipse?

The total solar eclipse on April 8  is causing such a stir because the rare event is an astronomical experience like no other that will be unusually accessible to millions of people.

April's total solar eclipse will fall over more places in the U.S. than the total eclipse before and after it. And the broad length of the path of totality – where Americans have the best shot of getting a clear view – is "much wider"  than it was for the eclipse in 2017 , according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

A total solar eclipse is also far more impressive  than a lunar or an annular solar eclipse. During an annular eclipse, the moon covers the Sun but leaves an outside ring some call a "ring of fire" — it darkens the sky instead of plunging Earth into a night-like darkness, which is what happens during a total solar eclipse. And a lunar eclipse – the appearance of a red moon – happens when the moon passes into the Earth's shadow, according to NASA.

Total solar eclipses can have spiritual significance, too . Ancient cultures viewed as a sign of the gods' anger or impending departure. Some religions today are hosting eclipse viewings and services.

Historically, eclipses have left major marks on religious and spiritual civilizations. In Christianity, an eclipse has been associated with the darkness that accompanied Jesus' crucifixion and in Islam, the passing of the Prophet Muhammad's son Ibrahim.

When was the last solar eclipse?

The USA's most recent total solar eclipse was on August 21, 2017, and stretched from Oregon to South Carolina.

When will the next solar eclipse happen?

The  next visible total solar eclipse  to cross over the U.S. after April will come in more than two decades on Aug. 23, 2044, according to NASA.

And that eclipse won't be as accessible as the 2024 one: The path of totality in 2044 will only touch the states of Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, according to the Planetary Society, a nonprofit involved in research, public outreach and political space advocacy. Another total eclipse  will pass over the U.S. in 2045  that will be more accessible to Americans, including for people who live in California, Florida and Nevada.

ECLIPSE GLASSES AND SAFETY

What are eclipse glasses and why are they needed for the eclipse.

Gazing at the bright rays from the eclipse without  protective eyewear  can seriouslt damage your eye, so wearing a pair of protective glasses is important.

There's a technical standard for eclipse glasses, which are designed to block out most light and let you safely see the moon pass in front of the sun: It's called ISO 12312-2 after the International Organization of Standardization.

While there's concerns that not all glasses marketed as eclipse glasses live up to that standard, experts say usually the shortcomings aren't significant .

But as the 2024 eclipse approaches, the American Astronomical Society  has warned that there are some counterfeit and fake eclipse glasses being sold from unverified vendors that would be unsafe to use during the eclipse. They recommend buying from a vetted vendor and testing the glasses before the eclipse.

How do I get solar eclipse glasses?

You should buy from a reputable source who can ship the glasses to you in time for April 8. A guide to last-minute eclipse glasses explains more.

How can you test eclipse glasses?

NASA shared an easy method to check eclipse glasses at home.

Buyers should put on their glasses and look at a bright light, like a flashlight. If the light is "extremely dim," or doesn't appear at all, the glasses are safe, Susannah Darling, of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, said in an instructional video. Viewers should be able to see the filament of the lightbulb, not the glow surrounding the bulb.

Can you really go blind watching a solar eclipse?

You could severely damage your eyes . Directly staring at the sun before and after the total eclipse, or watching a partial eclipse outside the path of totality without proper eye protection, can result in permanent damage including blurred and altered vision.

While rare, eye damage from watching a partial eclipse happens in part because a person's natural response to squint when looking at sunlight does not get triggered. In the lead-up to the  April 8 solar eclipse ,  doctors and a rare set of eclipse watchers are warning about  watching this planetary event without adequate eclipse glasses or with the naked eye.

It’s hard for experts to know or even estimate how many people experience eye damage from solar eclipses. Since looking at an eclipse does not cause complete blindness, people with permanent damage may not know they have it or report it to a doctor. The 2017 eclipse , which passed from Oregon to South Carolina, is thought to have caused about 100 cases, according to the  American Astronomical Society .

How can I watch the eclipse without glasses?

If you don't have access to eclipse glasses do not use regular sunglasses — You need a more creative solution for safe viewing, like a pinhole projector .

Welding glasses are not recommended for eclipse viewing .

Should I take dogs or cats to see the eclipse? Is it safe for pets?

An eclipse itself isn't dangerous for domestic animals such as dogs and cats, but experts say it's probably best to not bring pets .

Experts' biggest concern is not what’s happening in the sky but on the ground as crowds of excited and anxious people gather, said Dr. Rena Carlson, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

“Rather than the effects of the eclipse, I would be more worried about the excitement and all of the people,” she said.

Contributing: Ramon Padilla, Karina Zaiets and Janet Loehrke

Eclipse seasons: Why the lunar eclipse on March 25 occurs 2 weeks before the total solar eclipse on April 8

How and why the full 'Worm Moon' aligns for March 25's lunar eclipse and April 8's total solar eclipse.

'Eclipse seasons' explained

Eclipse seasons in 2024, how the moon's orbital nodes work, what causes partial and penumbral eclipses.

On Monday, March 25, the full "Worm Moon" will cause a penumbral lunar eclipse for the night side of Earth, including North and South America, Europe, East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

The third full moon of 2024 and the first of spring in the northern hemisphere, the "Worm Moon" — also known as the "Crow Moon" and the "Lenten Moon" — will move through the Earth 's outer shadow in space.

As well as being an interesting astronomical event, it will set up a total solar eclipse exactly two weeks later that will be seen across North America.

We're entering 2024's first (and best) "eclipse season," during which there will be two eclipses — one of the moon by the Earth and one of the sun by the moon.

• A lunar eclipse occurs during a full moon — when the Earth is between the sun and moon, blocking sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. 
• A solar eclipse occurs during a new moon — when the moon is between the Earth and the sun. 

Every 173 days, for between 31 and 37 days, the moon intersects (or almost intersects) the ecliptic—the apparent path of the sun through our daytime sky. The ecliptic is also the plane of Earth's orbit of the sun. What results is a short season during which two — and occasionally three — solar and lunar eclipses can occur.

In 2024, there will be two eclipse seasons each featuring two solar eclipses and two lunar eclipses:  

Eclipse season 1  

• March 25 : a penumbral lunar eclipse of the "Worm Moon" (North and South America, Europe, East Asia, Australia and New Zealand). 
• April 8 : a total solar eclipse (parts of Mexico, the U.S. and Canada). 

Eclipse season 2  

• September 18 : a partial lunar eclipse of the "Harvest Moon" (Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Arctic, Antarctica.) 
• October 2 : an annular solar eclipse (Easter Island, Rapa Nui, Chile and Argentina). 

Although there is no third eclipse in 2024's second eclipse season, there so nearly is. According to timeanddate, an "almost lunar eclipse" will (won't!) occur on October 17 when the full "Hunter's Moon" just misses moving through Earth's shadow. It's a meaningless fact, visually, but it helps demonstrate how eclipse seasons work. It will miss because the moon will have been at its ascending node the day before, according to Astropixels . 

The moon's orbital nodes are why there isn't a solar or lunar eclipse every month. 

The moon's orbit of Earth is tilted by 5 degrees with respect to the ecliptic. That guarantees that there usually isn't a solar or lunar eclipse in any given month, but it also ensures that they must happen occasionally.

For one to occur, the moon must reach its new or full phase while it crosses the ecliptic. These two places are called the ascending node and the descending node. 

The moon reaches those two nodes at different times every month. It usually does so when it's not either new or full, so it isn't in a position to eclipse or be eclipsed. Only during an eclipse season does the moon arrive at, or very close to, these nodes at the perfect time to cause an eclipse. The result is a short season during which two (and sometimes three) solar and lunar eclipses can occur, one after another, two weeks apart. 

Slight eclipses — a partial solar or lunar eclipse and a penumbral lunar eclipse — occur during eclipse season when the moon reaches a node just a few hours or a day too early or late. On these occasions, it misses its target, either eclipsing only part of the sun or moving through Earth's outer shadow. 

Either the new moon is slightly above or below the sun, and the full moon is above or below Earth's shadow. Only when it reaches a node at precisely the right time does it cause a total solar eclipse or a total lunar eclipse.

That's what makes Monday, April 8, such a special day for North America — and why you should, if possible, travel into the path of totality. Only then will you see, with your own naked eyes, the sun's majestic, spiky white corona revealed in a dark sky. 

Note: Only look at the partial phases of any solar eclipse with proper eye protection, which means solar eclipse glasses. Lunar eclipses are completely safe at all times.

Related: How to observe the sun safely (and what to look for)

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Get the Space.com Newsletter

Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!

Jamie is an experienced science, technology and travel journalist and stargazer who writes about exploring the night sky, solar and lunar eclipses, moon-gazing, astro-travel, astronomy and space exploration. He is the editor of  WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com  and author of  A Stargazing Program For Beginners , and is a senior contributor at Forbes. His special skill is turning tech-babble into plain English.

Total solar eclipse 2024: Live updates

Lego Education Eclipse Collection teaches students about April 8 total solar eclipse

Life as we know it could exist on Venus, new experiment reveals

• Kehk in a MiG I've never actually heard "total lunar eclipse"; instead "umbral lunar eclipse". Nevertheless, either is correct. Reply
• View All 1 Comment

Most Popular

By Fran Ruiz January 29, 2024

By Fran Ruiz January 26, 2024

By Conor Feehly January 05, 2024

By Keith Cooper December 22, 2023

By Fran Ruiz December 20, 2023

By Fran Ruiz December 19, 2023

By Fran Ruiz December 18, 2023

By Tantse Walter December 18, 2023

By Robert Lea December 05, 2023

By Robert Lea December 04, 2023

By Robert Lea December 01, 2023

• 2 Giant Mars asteroid impact creates vast field of destruction with 2 billion craters
• 3 365 days of satellite images show Earth's seasons changing from space (video)
• 4 Still alive! Japan's SLIM moon lander survives its 2nd lunar night (photo)
• 5 Total solar eclipse 2024: Live updates