Watch spectacular ‘Ring of Fire’ on Dec 26

Solar eclipse is one of the most captivating astronomical event, in the sky, and the people can witness the annular solar eclipse on December 26, which is visible in various parts of India.

Astronomy enthusiasts are all geared up to witness the marvel. Though solar eclipse happens in regular intervals, the annular solar eclipse is a sporadic phenomenon.

It occurs when the moon’s apparent diametre is smaller than the sun’s, thus, obscuring most of the sun’s light, making it appear like an annulus (ring).

The annular solar eclipse will be visible on December 26 in South India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Sumatra, Borneo, Philippines and Arabina Peninsula. Partial solar eclipse is visible from a larger region of the world.

According to observational astronomer S A Mohan Krishna, Cheruvathur in Kasaragod district of Kerala, is the ideal place to witness this remarkable eclipse, because it is first visible here, in India. The eclipse would be visible in Kurukshetra (Haryana), after a gap of 10 years. It will be perceptible in Tamil Nadu. The eclipse is visible perfectly at Kalpetta in Wayanad. Kasargod, Kannur, Thalaserry in Kerala and Mangaluru in Karnataka will witness 96% to 99% eclipse.

99% eclipse in Mysuru

In Mysuru, the eclipse is almost annular, but some refer to it as partial as we cannot completely notice obscurity. Mysureans can witness about 99% annularity of the eclipse. The people of Bengaluru and Mysuru are privileged to witness almost annularity, but at Nanjangud and Gundlupet, 100% annularity can be observed. A pinhole camera is the simplest way to view an eclipse, but the solar image will be inverted.

The eclipse begins at 8.05 am and ends at 11.09 am. The maximum or greatest phase of the eclipse and annular eclipse begins at 9.24 am and ends at 9.28 am. The duration of the annular eclipse will be 3 minutes and 34 seconds. The total duration of the eclipse will be three hours and three minutes.

Solar goggles

Directly seeing the photosphere of the Sun, even for a few seconds, can cause permanent damage to the retina of the eye. This can result in the impairment of vision, including blindness. Watching the eclipse requires special eye protection. Sun glasses are not safe. Specially tested solar goggles are available for a reasonable price of Rs 30 to Rs 50. These are safe to watch any solar eclipse.

Observatories

Interested persons may watch the event at observatories at Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala, Excel Public School, Mysore Science Foundation (MSF) and University of Mysore.