Lunar Eclipse

Chandra Darshan is the first sighting of the waxing crescent moon after Amavasya (new moon), on the evening Shukla Pratipada is in effect, or, when the crescent is not yet visible then, the following evening (Dvitiya). Seeing the newborn crescent is considered auspicious: many observe a short fast until the sighting and offer arghya (water) to Chandra (the Moon) upon seeing it.

Right after Amavasya the crescent is extremely thin, low on the horizon, and sets soon after the Sun, so whether it can actually be seen with the naked eye on a given evening is a genuine astronomical question, not a fixed calendar date. This page checks each candidate evening using the Yallop crescent-visibility criterion (B.D. Yallop, HM Nautical Almanac Office Technical Note No. 69, 1997): a published method, also used internationally for other lunar-calendar moon-sighting determinations, based on the crescent's elongation, width, and arc of vision at sunset.

This is a scientific visibility estimate, not a substitute for an actual local sighting where community observance depends on it. Local horizon conditions (haze, elevation, obstructions) can affect what is actually seen on any given evening.

Tradition & Practice

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The Newborn Crescent

Chandra Darshan is checked on the evening Shukla Pratipada rules at sunset, or, if the crescent is too thin to be seen that evening, the following evening (Dvitiya) instead. Each evening is evaluated independently.

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The Yallop Visibility Criterion

A published astronomical method (B.D. Yallop, 1997) used to classify whether a young crescent moon is visible to the naked eye, based on its elongation from the Sun, its width, and the arc of vision at sunset.

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Arghya to Chandra

Upon sighting the crescent, devotees traditionally offer arghya (water) to Chandra and seek blessings. Some observe a short fast that is broken once the moon is sighted.

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Best Viewing Time

When visible, the best viewing window is estimated between sunset and moonset (den Bruin's approximation), shown alongside each evening below.

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Lunar Eclipse 1981

Lunar Eclipse