Solar Eclipse Timings: All You Need To Know About Surya Grahan
The last solar eclipse of 2019 will occur on 26 December. Here’s when, where, and how to watch.
advertisement
The last solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) of the year will be witnessed on 26 December 2019. This year, a total of five eclipses took place, including three solar and two lunar eclipses. According to astrologers, on Thursday, 26 December, there will be a solar eclipse for about two hours and 20 minutes in the morning. The solar eclipse will be seen from 8:17 am in the morning to 10:57 am. The last solar eclipse of the year can be seen in many places including Bihar.
An annular solar eclipse will be witnessed on 26 December 2019, which means that this solar eclipse will not be a full eclipse. According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, after the sunrise, this annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) will be seen in the southern parts of the country like Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. While the south will see the annular eclipse, a partial solar eclipse will be seen in many other states of the country.
Solar Eclipse 2019 (Surya Grahan) Time and Duration
As per Indian Standard time (IST), a partial solar eclipse will start at 8 am on 26 December 2019, while the annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) will start after one hour at 9:06 am. This eclipse will end at 12:29 pm. However, the eclipse will remain partial till 1:36 pm in the afternoon.
What Is a Full, Annular & Partial Solar Eclipse?
A full solar eclipse occurs when the Earth, Moon and Sun align perfectly, with the Moon coming between the Earth and the Sun, blocking out the Sun completely. To observers on Earth, this looks like a black disc (the Moon, in shadow) coming in front of the Sun, back-lit by the Sun’s rays.
An annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) is different from a full solar eclipse because here, the Moon is further away from Earth and so does not completely block out the Sun. Instead, a ‘ring of fire’ remains around the Moon even when all three bodies are in perfect alignment.
A partial eclipse occurs when the alignment between the three bodies is not perfect, and so the moon only partially covers the Sun.
To avoid damage to one’s eyes and potentially even blindness during an annular or partial solar eclipse, it is safest to view it through special eclipse glasses or a pinhole camera, which can be made easily at home. NASA has clarified that it is safe to view a full solar eclipse with the naked eye, but partial and annular eclipses do need to be viewed with proper eye protection (sunglasses do not work).
Where Will the Solar Eclipse be Witnessed?
The process of the solar eclipse going into the annular phase will happen in some places in the southern part of the country, such as Kannur, Coimbatore, Kozhikode, Madurai, Mangalore, Ooty, Tiruchirappalli.
During the eclipse in India, about 93 percent of the Sun will be covered by the Moon. About 90 percent of the Sun in Bengaluru, 85 percent in Chennai, 79 percent in Mumbai, 45 percent in Delhi, 42 percent in Patna, and 33 percent in Guwahati will be covered by the Moon.
The last solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) of the year will also be seen in countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Northern part of Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra and Borneo.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)