Crowd gathers in Cheruvathur, first place in India where solar eclipse is visible

Large crowd has assembled at Cheruvathur in north Kerala, the first place in the country where solar eclipse is visible. The sun is visible as a golden ring from Chervathur.

There are scientists, students and media persons who want to have a glimpse of the last solar spectacle of the year. The eclipse can be viewed in Kerala between 8.05 am to 11 am.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the Sun for a viewer on Earth. Scientists said moon will he closest to the sun by 9.27 am.

 Watch | Solar eclipse of the decade begins, visible from parts of India

Scientists have warned people not to watch the eclipse with naked eyes. They said it is safe to eat, drink and carry out daily activities during the eclipse. The only danger is when one views it with naked eyes.

Looking at the number of students who have gathered to witness the spectacle, some of the scientists told HT that such events will help inculcate scientific temperament among youngsters.

The scientists also said that people of the southern part of the country will be fortunate enough to see a greater part of eclipse because of the geometry of eclipse path.

This is the second solar eclipse of the century.

In Kerala, major temples like Guruvayur Sreekrishna temple, Sabarimala Ayyappa temple and Sree Padamnabha Swamy temple are closed for four hours in the morning. Crowd also assembled in Wayanad in North Kerala to witness the rare event.

In the Indian sub-continent, the annularity phases will be seen within a narrow path grazing the southern Indian peninsula through Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu before crossing the Bay of Bengal for northern Sri Lanka.

Thursday’s eclipse will also be visible in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam.