On June 21, the annular solar eclipse will create a ring of fire in the sky. This will be the first solar eclipse of 2020 and will be visible in northern India as well as in most parts of Asia, Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It will also be visible in some parts of Europe and Australia.
A solar eclipse is an astronomical event when the sun, the new moon and the earth are in alignment. The moon blocks the disc of the sun, casting a shadow on the earth’s surface which causes an eclipse.
Annular solar eclipse - Date and Time
In India, the annular solar eclipse this year will start at 9:15 am and end by 3:04 pm. The full eclipse will begin from 10:17 am and will be visible until 2:02 pm. The maximum eclipse will occur at 12:10 pm.
The annularity, when only a ring of fire is visible, usually ranges from less than a second to over 12 minutes.
The last time there was an annular solar eclipse, it was December 26, 2019. Before that the event occurred on September 1, 2016, and January 15, 2010.
To view the annular solar eclipse, one needs to have proper eyes protection gear like eclipse glasses. A more safe option would be to project the image of the sun and the eclipse using a pinhole projector.
What happens in an annular solar eclipse?
In an annular solar eclipse, the new moon covers the sun from the centre. This leaves the outer rim of the sun visible, thus creating an appearance of a ring – popularly called the ‘ring of fire’. The world ‘annular’ comes from the Latin word annulus which means a ring.
Dos
- People usually prefer staying indoors during the eclipse hours.
- No food items are consumed during this time.
- Add Tulsi leaves in your eatables and water to prevent any ill-effects of the Grahan
- Taking a bath and changing into new clothes is advisable during the eclipse
- Chanting of mantras dedicated to the Sun God is also followed by many households
- Pregnant mothers are especially advised to stay indoors and chant the Santana Gopala Mantra
Don’ts
- Any auspicious task is avoided during the eclipse duration in several households.
- An eclipse should not be viewed with one’s naked eye as it can damage the eye.
- Skywatchers are advised to use binoculars, a telescope or an optical camera viewfinder with optimal filters to watch the eclipse. A normal-use binocular or telescope is a strict no-no.