Were you lucky enough to see the penumbral lunar eclipse which took place on June 6? If not, there is another one coming up the next month. But between these two lunar eclipses, is an annular solar eclipse that will take place on June 21. This will be a 'ring of fire' phenomenon which will see the moon's shadow covering the sun, leaving only the outer edges of the sun shining bright in a ring. While this eclipse is still about two weeks away, we tell you more about the date, timings and how to watch it. Celestial Events 2020 Calendar: List of Lunar and Solar Eclipses in This Year’s Astronomical Calendar.
What is Annular Solar Eclipse?
A solar eclipse means when the shadow of the moon is cast over the sun's surface, blocking part of the sun rays from reaching the earth. It happens when the New moon is between the sun and earth. An annular solar eclipse is when the moon's disk does not cover the sun entirely but leaves out the outer edges visible to form a ring.
Date and Time of Annular Solar Eclipse
The annular solar eclipse this month will take place on June 21. It will begin at 03:45 GMT (09:15 IST), reach its maximum point at 06:40 GMT (12:10 IST). The last location of the eclipse will be 09:34 GMT (15:04 IST). So the entire eclipse will be visible for about 6 hours.
Where Will it Be Visible?
The annular solar eclipse will be visible from South/East Europe, much of Asia, Africa, Pacific, Indian Ocean and northern parts of Australia. Check Names of Countries Where Surya Grahan Will Be Visible.
How to Watch It?
It is always advised to not look at the sun directly, so even during an eclipse, one should use proper gear. There are specially UV filtered eclipse glasses which are ideal to watch a solar eclipse. Alternately, you can watch it through layers of gift wrapping sheets. It is not safe to look directly at a solar eclipse as it can even damage the eyes. In case the eclipse will not be visible from your regions, you can always opt for a live-streaming. Several channels will hold live streaming of the event. The links have not been set as yet, but we will keep you updated on those.
If you love watching these celestial events then do tune in with us as we will give you regular updates about the solar eclipse in the forthcoming days.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 08, 2020 11:18 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).