Chandra Grahan 2020: Effects of Lunar Eclipse on your health, here's all you need to know

Lunar Eclipse is an astronomical event, where the Earth blocks the light of the Sun from reaching the Moon. Also known as the Chandra Grahan, the Earth comes in between the Sun and the Moon, forming a straight line. This year, the fourth and last penumbral lunar eclipse, also known as the Chandra Grahan, will take place on 30th November, 2020. Much like the previous eclipses, this will also be a penumbral lunar eclipse, meaning that the Earth would come between the Sun and the Moon.

Although there has been no solid evidence regarding the impact of the lunar eclipse on human health, many people believe that the event can cause serious damage to people's well being. That being said, here is everything you should know about the lunar eclipse and its possible effects on your health and well being.

The last Lunar Eclipse of the year will occur on 30th November i.e. the coming Monday. This year, it is set to fall on Kartik Purnima. In India, the event will start at 1:04pm and end at 5:22pm. The Eclipse will be at its peak at 3:13pm. The duration of the Chandra Grahan will be for 2 hours 45 minutes.

Irrespective of the fact that there are no findings and scientific claims regarding the effect of lunar eclipse on our health, conventional beliefs dictate that during a lunar eclipse, strong ultraviolet rays are emitted, which make the precooked food unsafe to eat. Additionally, some even believe that drinking water is unsafe.

It is also believed that the radiations produced during the eclipse can be harmful for pregnant women. In addition to dietary restrictions during the length of the eclipse, pregnant women are expected to follow a set of dos and don'ts when it comes to eating their meals and going about their day to day lives. Besides that, many claim that the harmful radiations can affect the health of the mother and the child in the womb.

During a Lunar eclipse, it is advised to wear protective eye glasses so as to protect one's eyes from harmful radiations. However, during a lunar eclipse, the moon is not as strong so it’s safe to look at it without any protective glass.

According to a study published in PubMed.gov, lunar eclipses influence human sleep and trigger sleep deprivation. As per the research, which was conducted on 33 people, it was found that an indicator of deep sleep was decreased by 30 percent and even the time to fall asleep was reduced by 5 minutes during a full moon. However, further research is needed to support the claim.

While many people believe that the lunar eclipse can pose serious risks to our health, as per an article published in sciencing.com, NASA has found no evidence regarding the same. It is also claimed that the lingering beliefs and faith in these conventional ideas is what leads people to experience “profound psychological effects.”