Don’t miss the ‘ring of fire’ in the sky!
Today the sun will ‘hide’ behind moon forming a rare and beautiful phenomenon called Annular Solar Eclipse
The world, which is currently grappling with COVID-19 pandemic will welcome the first solar eclipse of the year today. This eclipse, which will be an annular solar eclipse, is popularly called as ‘The ring of fire’. The first cosmic event of 2020 will be reportedly visible in Asia, Africa, and Europe, Pakistan, China and in some parts of India.
In India, the solar eclipse will start at 9:15 am as per the Indian standard time and will end at 3:04 pm. The maximum eclipse will take place at 12:10 pm. In Mumbai, the ‘Surya Grahan’ will last for almost three hours, beginning from 10 am and ending at 1:37 pm. However, it will be a partial eclipse. What is annular solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse happens when the moon while orbiting the earth comes between the sun and the earth. There are three types of solar eclipses: Total, partial and annular. The eclipse which is occurring today is an annular solar eclipse and it happens when the moon is farthest from the earth, seems smaller and does not block the entire view of the sun. The moon then appears like a dark disk on the sun which makes way for the spectacular phenomenon called the ‘Ring of fire’.
Take note, this is the first solar eclipse of the year 2020, while the second and the total solar eclipse may happen on December 14.
In India, the annular solar eclipse will be visible only in Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttarakhand and for the rest of the country, it will be partial. Precautionary measures
People living in the states where the eclipse is visible should avoid looking at the sun with their naked eyes. Make sure you wear special purpose-solar filter ‘eclipse glasses’. You can’t wear your regular sunglasses as they won’t provide proper protection. Looking directly at the sun during a solar eclipse can cause permanent damage to the retina and pupil of your eyes.
If you are stepping outside your home to watch the solar eclipse then follow social distancing, avoid standing too close to someone and do not forget to wear a mask. Capturing the stunning view on camera or looking through binoculars sounds a good idea, but scientists are against it. Even when you are trying to catch a glimpse of the eclipse through a camera, wear the eclipse glasses or a sun filter. If you own a DSLR camera then use an eclipse filter before taking the snaps of the solar eclipse, it will help keep your camera lens damage-proof.
Amid pandemic, going out to experience the eclipse could be risky, instead, stay home and watch the summer solstice online! Timeanddate and Slooh, a robotic service that can be viewed through a web browser, will stream the annular solar eclipse on their respective YouTube channels.