Century’s longest annular solar eclipse today Started

The millennium’s longest celestial spectacle unfolded on Friday in a narrow strip in peninsular India with enthusiasts flocking sites to observe the annular solar eclipse.

The scientific phenomenon began at 11:17 AM at Dhanushkodi.

People at Dhanushkodi, about 18 km from here, touted as the best location to watch the longest eclipse in a century, were excited as the moon began to cover the sun.

It is from places like Dhanushkodi, Kanyakumari, Varkala that people would be able to see the ring of fire as the moon tries to block the Solar disc leaving the edges flaring.

“The moon has started covering the sun and by 1:30 PM people will be able to see the ‘ring of fire’,” SPACE Director C B Devgun told PTI.

In Kanyakumari, the eclipse was watched by a team of six scientists from Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA).

“The eclipse is half-way. The annularity will be at about 1:06 PM which will be for 10.8 minutes,” R C Kapoor, a scientist at IIA, told PTI.

In Delhi, the eclipse began at 11:53 AM.

Several skywatchers watched the celestial spectacle from Nehru Planetarium in New Delhi where special arrangements were made.

Projectors, telescopes and special solar view goggles were made available to the people who gathered to have a glimpse of the cosmic event.

Many people who had gathered at the planetarium were brimming with excitement as they watched the celestial show.

Mamata, who came to the planetarium to watch the event, said “It is the first time I am seeing such an event“.

“The view of the eclipse was enthralling,” Shreyansh Gupta, a student, said.

58-year-old Nisha too was very upbeat about the whole cosmic event. “In 1980 I first saw the solar eclipse. However, things are different now“.

An amateur astronomer Mushir (14) described the whole event as great. “It is probably the first and last time I am seeing the eclipse. It feels great,” he said.

Sachin Bahmba, founder of NGO Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE), said, “We are encouraging people to eat food and drink water to bust all myths about the eclipse”.

IANS reports from Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu)

The longest annular solar eclipse of the millennium began at 11.06 a.m. Friday in Kanyakumari as thousands of people converged here to watch the celestial spectacle.

Annular solar eclipse occurs when the sun and the moon are exactly in line, but the apparent size of the moon’s shadow is smaller than the visible disc of the sun, making it appear like a ring of fire. The eclipse is expected to peak to annular eclipse at 1.15 p.m.

Rajendra Ratnoo, district collector of Kanyakumari said: “Television sets have been set up at the viewing centre near the Public Works Department guesthouse. A telescope has been connected to a plasma TV for people to see.” He said around 750 students from 25 states have come to Kanyakumari to witness the celestial spectacle.

According to the police, around 150 security personnel have been deployed as they expect around 15,000 people to visit the viewing centre.

Seven telescopes have been set up in addition where facilities have been made to view the eclipse through pin hole and mirror projection.

The last time India saw this ‘Ring of Fire’ was November 22, 1965, and it will not be witnessed again before June 21, 2020. The next longest annular solar eclipse will be seen in 3043.

While visibility of the eclipse will be more in Tamil Nadu as compared to other parts of the country, within the state the visibility is longer in Rameshwaram and Danushkodi around 580 km from the state capital.

Scientists and common people gathered at Kanyakumari, Rameshwaram and nearby Danushkodi to witness and study this rare celestial phenomenon.