E-StoreSOLAR ECLIPSE- PHENOMENA OF A LIFETIME
The world or mostly the eastern parts of the world witnessed a phenomenal solar eclipse which started from late evening of 21 July to dawn of 22 July. There were mixed feelings of excitement along with amazement since this one was the longest solar eclipse which lasted for about 6 minutes and 44 seconds. The next such celestial spectacle will take place in 2132 exactly after 123 years, so this one was all the more important for the people of this century. The most part of the eclipse was visible in most of China and countries like Taiwan and Korea etc. but India also witnessed the event in some of its parts like Bhopal and if the sky would not have been cloudy then in Indore, Ujjain, Jabalpur, Panchmarhi, Sagar and Vidisha districts, among others.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Sun and the Earth so that the Sun is fully or partially covered. This can only happen during a new moon, when the Sun and Moon are in conjunction as seen from the Earth. At least two and up to five solar eclipses can occur each year on Earth, with between zero and two of them being total eclipses.
The best view was observed in china where it started at 9:15 a.m. and lasted for about 4 minutes. Most parts of the city were engulfed in darkness. There were arrangements made to have a better view and it was observed that there were bookings in flights from world over when people were headed towards the country to have a glimpse of the eclipse. In India the story was a little different where the first city to have a view was Surat where it started at 5.28 a.m. when the moon started covering the sun and reached its peak at around 6.23 a.m. when the sun was completely obscured by the moon. The eclipse ended at 7.25 a.m.
In Delhi, around 3,000 people, including children, came to the Nehru Planetarium and National Science Centre to watch the eclipse. The planetarium had put out telescopes, solar filter screens and pinhole projections. But the view was marred in a few parts like Bangalore, Orissa and many parts of Uttar Pradesh due to clouds and left the people disappointed. There was a marked increase in the sale of sun goggles which are used as safety precaution to watch the eclipse.
The eclipse was part of Saros series 136 and the next event from this series will be on August 2, 2027. The exceptional duration was a result of the moon being near perigee, with the apparent diameter of the moon 8% larger than the sun and the Earth being near aphelion where the sun appeared slightly smaller. This was the second in the series of three eclipses in a month, with the lunar eclipse on July 7 and the lunar eclipse on August 6.
Along with such events, comes the furore created by astropundits in India who advise things like chanting the Surya mantra, stay at home, avoid eating out and postpone work and any major assignments. However such things are discarded by many considering it as “eclipse hysteria”. However many devotees in India visited Kurukshetra as a part of the rituals and many took holy dip in Ganges at various other places.
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