Total Solar Eclipse of December 2020 Date and Timings: Know When, Where and How to Watch The Last Surya Grahan of This Year
A total solar eclipse is when the Sun is entirely covered by shadow of the moon thus stopping the sunlight from reaching the earth. The last solar eclipse of this year will be taking place on December 14, exactly a week from now. Ahead of this celestial event of Surya Grahan, we tell you all details about the date, timings, visibility and how to watch it.
December is a beautifully favourable month for celestial activities. The last month of year 2020, has several celestial event occurrences and one of them is the total solar eclipse. A total solar eclipse is when the Sun is entirely covered by shadow of the moon thus stopping the sunlight from reaching the earth. The last solar eclipse of this year will be taking place on December 14, exactly a week from now. Ahead of this celestial event of Surya Grahan, as it is called in India, we tell you all details about the date, timings, visibility and how to watch it. December 2020 Celestial Events’ List: Full Moon, Geminid & Ursid Meteor Shower, Solar Eclipse, ‘Kissing Planets’ & More, Here’s Your Stargazing Guide for the Month.
Solar Eclipse December 2020 Date and Time
The total solar eclipse of December 2020 will take place on December 14, Monday. It will begin at 13:33 UTC and end at 18:53 PM UTC The maximum point of this eclipse will be at 16:13 PM UTC. In Indian Standard Time, this eclipse begins at 19:03 PM and ends a little post midnight 00:23 AM, December 15. The maximum point of this solar eclipse will be 21:43 PM. So naturally, people in India and around cannot witness this celestial activity directly. We had an annular solar eclipse on June 21 this year.
What is Total Solar Eclipse?
Total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon comes between the Sun and Earth in a straight allignment. So the moon casts its shadow, the umbra, on Earth. So the sun appears covered dark by the moon leaving just about a border illuminating around. This is called the total solar eclipse.
Visibility of Total Solar Eclipse
The last eclipse of 2020, will be visible from Chile and some parts of Argentina. Some regions in southern South America, south-west Africa, and Antarctica will see a partial solar eclipse, if the weather permits. A partial solar eclipse could be seen in South in Africa, Much of South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Antarctica. People in India cannot see this celestial activity.
How to Watch Last Solar Eclipse of 2020?
To watch a solar eclipse, one must have special eclipse glasses. Watching the sun directly can be harmful to one's eyesight. It can cause vision damage due to retinal problems. There are special eclipse glasses available. The safest way to watch a solar eclipse is watching it through live streaming. For those who cannot witness it directly due to the time zone difference, can rely on online streaming of this celestial event.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 07, 2020 04:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).