INTERESTING CORNER: Let’s walk through the magical world of Surya Grahan

The Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) of the year will take place on June 21 this year. It is not a regular one as it falls on the summer solstice, i.e. the longest day and the shortest night of the year. People in some parts of the country will be able to see a ‘Ring of Fire’ during the surya grahan, however, for most parts of the country, the eclipse will be partial.

What is Solar eclipse or surya grahan?
Solar Eclipse occurs when the moon blocks the light of the sun from reaching the earth. During surya grahan, the moon casts a shadow onto our planet when they are aligned.

Solar Eclipse (Surya Grahan) of June 21, 2020: Time- In India, the solar eclipse of June 21 with begin at 9:15 am and will end at 3:03 pm according to TimeandDate.com.

Where can you see Solar Eclipse?
The annular solar eclipse will be seen for one minute in places like Sirsa, Ratia and Kurukshetra in Haryana, Suratgarh and Anupgarh in
Rajasthan and Dehradun, Chamba, Chamoli and Joshimath in Uttarakhand. At these places, the ‘Ring of Fire’ will be visible, however, it will be narrower than of solar eclipse of December 26, 2019. It will also be seen in South Sudan, Ethiopia, Yemen, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the Indian Ocean, Pakistan, Tibet, China, Taiwan and the middle of the Pacific ocean.

Solar Eclipse (Surya Grahan) of June 21, 2020: Interesting facts
1. If you miss the solar eclipse of June 21, 2020, you will have to wait till December 14-15 to witness it again.
2. In a year, there can be as many as five solar eclipses.
3. A total solar eclipse is a rare sight and happens only once in every 18 months. For a total solar eclipse, the sun has to be blocked at least 90 percent by the moon.
4. The longest duration of a total solar eclipse is 7.5 minutes.
5. The total solar eclipse cannot be seen from the North and South Poles

Precautions- While people can enjoy the lunar eclipse with the naked eye, it is advised to never witness a solar eclipse with bare eyes. Protective eyeglasses, binoculars, box projector or a telescope is advised to be used to safely witness the phenomenon