VIndianz.com (12 Jan, 2009) — This Friday, January 15, a rare spectacle will happen, a celestial one for that matter! Skygazers will be treated to the first annular solar eclipse (also known as ‘Ring of Fire’) as well as the longest eclipse in the millennium on Friday in southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala states after 10.30 am till around 3 pm.
The path of the moon’s antumbral shadow begins in Africa and passes through Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, and Somalia.
After leaving Africa, the path crosses the Indian Ocean where the maximum duration of annularity reaches 11 minutes 8 seconds. The central path then continues into Asia through Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and China. The annular eclipse comes after 108 years.
According to astronomers, the difference between a total solar eclipse and annular one is during a total solar eclipse the Sun will be fully covered by the Moon whereas during an annular one, Sun would not be fully covered and skygazers will be able to see the Sun like a thing ring around the black moon, which will be not only be a spectacle but also a once-in-a-lifetime event. This occurs when the Earth comes closes to the Sun while the Moon is at its farthest position in orbit and the disc of the Moon cannot completely cover the Sun’s surface and a fiery ring (a ‘Ring of Fire’) is visible beyond the moon’s edge.
And, there is third type of solar eclipse: the Sun will be partially blocked by the Moon. This annular solar eclipse will be the first of the year as well and also the longest of the third millennium that’s between 2001 and 3000.
The last time India saw this ‘Ring of Fire’ was on November 22, 1965, and it will not be witnessed again before June 21, 2020.
In India, the eclipse will be seen in Kanyakumari (in Tamil Nadu) and travel to Rameshwaram and Dhanushkodi. At Dhanushkodi, one can enjoy the eclipse the best view and at Rameshwaram the eclipse will last the maximum: 10 minutes and eight seconds, according to Ajay Talwar of Amateur Astronomers Association. “The eclipse will then move to Kerala and end in the northeast and travel to Myanmar,” he said.
India also witnessed another rare on the last days of 2009: a “Blue Moon”. The second full moon day of December 2009, also saw a partial eclipse of the moon which was visible from all over the country. This phenomenon, when two full moons appear within the same month, is not common and when it does happen, the second full moon of the month is called “Blue Moon”.
Further Reading- More Arrests Likely in Pedophile Raid – New York Times
- Picture This: Justin Wears Selena’s Ring to Golden Globes – Ology
- Crystal Harris Talks Hugh Hefner Engagement, Ring, Wedding – The Hollywood Gossip
- Video: Tom Zbikowski reveals what life is like in the boxing ring – USA Today
- Kim Kardashian’s ring has engraved Bible passages – SheKnows.com
- ‘Fringe’ recap: You can ring by Bellllllll, ring my Bell! – Zap2it.com (blog)
- First Solar Beats Whisper, Sells Key Project – TheStreet.com
- First Solar Beats Whisper, Sells Key Project – TheStreet.com
- Carrie Ann Inaba Engaged: Get the Details on Her Ring! – People Magazine
- Kim Kardashian’s Engagement Ring – SheKnows.com
Stay updated! Follow us on twitter and subscribe to our feed via Feedburner.
No Comments