GUWAHATI, June 19 - A total annular solar eclipse will take place on June 21. While this celestial event would be visible in some parts of India in its totality, it would be partially visible in some other areas.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth. During this phenomenon, the moon blocks the sun�s rays and casts a shadow on the planet. A total solar eclipse is visible only from a very limited area on the earth, with the three celestial bodies being in a direct alignment. During a partial solar eclipse, on the other hand, the sun remains only partially visible because the three are not in a straight line during this event.
But, an annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon is at the farthest point from the planet while passing between the sun and the earth. During this phenomenon, the moon blocks the sun like a smaller disk, and hence the sun looks like a ring of fire.
Though this eclipse would be visible to the people in some parts of India, for the people of the most other parts of the country, it would be visible only in parts.
According to scientists, the path of this annular eclipse will start near Gharsana in Rajasthan around 10.12 am and the phase of the annularity would start around 11.49 am. After about a minute, it will dissipate over the sky of that place.
In Assam, the event will be visible as a partial solar eclipse with 74 per cent to 88 per cent of the sun remaining visible. It will start at 10.51 am at Srirampur and end at Jagun at 2.23 pm 24 seconds.
In Guwahati, the eclipse will start at 10:57:18 am and achieve the maximum coverage of 80.07 per cent at 12:45:55 pm before ending at 2:24:02 pm.
The Assam Science Society and the Science and Bijnan Prasar, the science popularisation wing of the Union Science and Technology Department, have jointly undertaken a special programme for viewing this solar eclipse. For the purpose, the Science Society has trained up 200 resource persons under the supervision of Bijnan Prasar.
People have been urged by the Science Society not to view the event directly even with the help of binoculars and telescopes. This event is to be viewed using safe solar filters, or by creating images of the event on walls or screens, said the Society in a statement.
