Highlights:
- Annular Solar Eclipse takes place in various parts of the world, today, including India
- The Ministry of Science and Technology has issued special eyewear which people need to wear if they wish to witness this rare event
- The next annular solar eclipse will take place on 21st June 2039
A rare celestial event known as the Annular Solar Eclipse, which is also known as “Ring of Fire” is visible in various parts of the World, including India, today.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Science and Technology issued general guidelines which cautioned people to not look directly at the eclipse as it could result in severe damage to the eyes and vision.
In the statement, the Ministry of Science and Technology said that special eyewear, which filters the sunlight, should be worn for safe viewing.
This rare event of the Annular Solar Eclipse will only happen twice this century and the next one will take place 19 years from now on the 21st June 2039.
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A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon comes directly in between the Sun and the Earth in such a way that its shadow falls on the surface of the planet Earth.
When the Sun is entirely covered by Moon, for a brief period of time, it leaves a dark and dense shadow of the Moon, which causes the total Solar Eclipse.
The next partial Solar Eclipse, however, will take place sooner and will be visible in India on the 25th October 2022.
The Annular Solar Eclipse, which is currently visible today in India, takes places as the Moon covers the Sun, leaving the Sun’s outline to form a “ring of fire” or annulus around the Moon.
Bhuj was the first city in the country which witnessed the Solar Eclipse which began at 9:58 AM. This eclipse will end 4 hours later from then at Dibrugarh, Assam at 2:29 PM.
Ghersana at the Western boundary of the country will be the first to witness Annular Solar Eclipse at 11:50 AM which will last for 30 seconds. Kalinka Peak in Uttarakhand will be the last major place where the Annular Solar Eclipse will be seen at 12:10 PM and will last for 28 seconds.
Incidentally, the first Solar Eclipse of 2020 is taking place on the Summer Solstice, which is the longest day in the entire Northern Hemisphere.
The statement from the Ministry of Science and Technology read, “The distance between the Earth and the Moon at the moment of the eclipse can dictate the type of eclipse that will take place. The distance between the Earth and the Moon is always changing due to the egg-shaped elliptical orbit of the Moon. This means that there are times where it is closer to the Earth and appears slightly bigger in the sky and times where it is farther away and appears somewhat smaller in the sky. Coincidentally, during the eclipse that takes place on June 21, 2020, the apparent size of the Moon is smaller than that of the Sun by just 1%,”.
