Solar Eclipse 2020: How has the coronavirus pandemic affected gatherings organised on solar eclipse?

The Earth is hosting a rare kind of solar eclipse this June 21 which is also coinciding with the summer solstice, or the first day of summer. June 21 will also be the longest day of the year, when people around the world will witness a celestial event known as the ‘Ring of Fire’ solar eclipse or an annular solar eclipse. In India, the path of the ‘Ring of Fire’ solar eclipse began near Gharsana in Rajasthan around 10:12 AM today. Depending on where a person in located from the central path of the eclipse, it will be visible between 9:56 AM to 2:29 PM, according to a press release from Planetary Society, India. The ‘Ring of Fire’ will be visible to people living in Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttarakhand. A large number of people in India and the world are waiting for the annular solar eclipse that will occur today. This is the first solar eclipse of 2020 and coincides with the summer solstice, the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere.

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Devotees pay their respects at Durgiana Temple, Amritsar

Devotees took a dip in the holy sarovar (Water tank) at Durgiana temple on solar eclipse in Amritsar and also used their smartphones to view the annular eclipse.

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Covid-19: How has the pandemic affected solar eclipse gatherings?

The coronavirus pandemic has had its impact on the annular solar eclipse this year. Large gatherings were banned, and hence special events organised at observatories and planetariums were cancelled across the country amid Covid-19. Temples in Hubli, Goddess Kanaka Durga temple have also remained shut during this time.

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Temples in Hubli, Karnataka closed during solar eclipse

 

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Next solar eclipse to occur on December 14, 2020

According to NASA, the next eclipse will be visible from the Pacific, South America and Antarctica, for a duration of 02 minutes, 10 seconds.

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Myth vs Fact: Eclipse is caused by demons eating sun

Cultures all over the world have similar mythological stories which describe how the solar eclipse happens – it’s generally about the sun being eaten by demons or giant beasts. The lack of understanding of the celestial events in the earlier times gave rise to such myths which are still in existence in form of stories and tales.

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Do’s and Don’ts to ensure during a solar eclipse

 

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Can one meditate during a solar eclipse?

Eclipses are considered an auspicious time for chanting mantras and meditation. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on his website says, “The mind is connected with the moon, the body is connected with the Earth and the Sun is connected with both. The time when all three come in alignment is good for spiritual practices.”

“...when you chant 108 times during this period it is equivalent to 10,000 times or more! So meditation and chanting are highly recommended during this period,” the spiritual guru adds.

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Watch: Captivating images of the ‘ring of fire’ from across the country

The solar eclipse started from around 9 am across India. The eclipse will continue for over three hours covering 84 per cent Sun.Watch the full video for more.

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With this annular solar eclipse going on, Twitter is abuzz with posts related to this amazing celestial event

The Solar Eclipse today on June 21 is very special as it’s the last one visible from India this year until it occurs again on 2022.

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Skywatching tips from NASA in June 2020

 

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Solar Eclipse Dos and Don’ts

According to Ayurveda, people are advised to avoid eating during the eclipse, but there are exceptions for old, ailing patients and pregnant women who can eat a light, sattvik meal that’s easy to digest. Spiritual guru Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev says that, “… there is a distinct change in the way cooked food is before and after the eclipse. What was nourishing food turns into poison. Cooked food will go through the phases of its deterioration much more rapidly in a subtle way than it does on a normal day.”

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Solar Eclipse as seen in Kathmandu, Nepal

 

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India witnesses ‘Ring of fire’ solar eclipse, ‘deepest’ in over a century

According to astrologers and experts, today’s was the fourth super rare hybrid eclipse which is a mix between an annular and total solar eclipse.

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Ring of Fire spotted in Dehradun

 

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June 21 solar eclipse decade’s 23rd, one more to go this year

The solar eclipse today is the 23rd such celestial event in a decade, according to US space agency NASA’s website. June 21’s eclipse is an annular one, meaning the moon is unable to cover the entire sun, leaving a small surface exposed which is called the “ring of fire”.

According to NASA’s website, there will be 24 solar eclipses between 2011 and 2020.

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Solar Eclipse spotted from New Delhi’s overcast skies

 

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What happens during Annular Solar Eclipses?

During annular solar eclipses, a ring of fire is formed around the moon’s periphery and it is different from a total eclipse.

A solar eclipse always occurs approximately two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse. In most cases, two eclipses occur simultaneously but a few times there also are three during the same eclipse season. This is the second eclipse this season. The first eclipse of this season was on June 5, 2020, and the other will follow on July 5, 2020, both penumbral.

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Solar Eclipse 2020: A pink crescent spotted in Amritsar, Punjab

 

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Solar eclipse in times of Covid-19: No gathering allowed, holy dip to be banned in Kurukshetra

At Kurukshetra, one of the places where the eclipse is visible, the administration has decided to impose prohibitory orders from Friday onwards. The provision bans the assembly of more than four persons.Steps have also been taken to ensure that no one takes a dip at Kurukshetra’s Brahma Sarovar and Sannehit Sarovar during the solar eclipse in view of coronavirus outbreak.

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Goddess Kanaka Durga temple closed till 6 AM on Monday

The temple will be reopened at 2.30 PM on Sunday, after completion of the solar eclipse. Temple cleansing, Snapana Abhishekam for deities, and Pancha Haarati will be held, after which the temple will be closed again.

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Solar Eclipse 2020 as seen in Karachi, Pakistan

 

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Solar Eclipse 2020 as seen in the skies of Dehradun

 

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Solar Eclipse 2020 duration

The solar eclipse will continue for around six hours today. Click here to read more on India timings, locations and other details.

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Solar Eclipse 2020 in United Arab Emirates

 

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Why is June Solstice or Summer Solstice special?

During the June solstice, all locations inside the Arctic Circle experience continuous daylight for 24 hours. Due to the atmospheric refraction, however, the midnight sun becomes visible for a few days prior and on June solstice from areas as far as 60 miles (97 kilometers) south of the Arctic Circle. As one moves on further north of the Arctic Circle, the duration of the Midnight Sun increases.

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Earth & the Moon are in a constant dance as they orbit the Sun: NASA

 

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June 21 sunrise, sunset timings, total daylight hours

June 21 will be the longest day this year in terms of more daylight hours in the 24-hour cycle. In New Delhi, the sun will rise at 05:23:47 and set at 19:21:59, clocking in a total of 13:58:12.

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Solar Eclipse as seen in Haryana

 

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The Summer Solstice occurs between June 20 and 22 every year

The word Solstice is derived from the Latin word “Sol” meaning Sun and “Sistere” meaning stationary or stand still. Summer Solstice is also referred to as Midsummer, First Day of Summer, June solstice (in the Northern Hemisphere) and the longest day of the year.

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Solar Eclipse 2020 seen in the skies of Gandhinagar

 

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June 21 2020 also marks Summer Solstice, International Day of Yoga

This day also coincides with annular solar eclipse, International Day of Yoga, Father’s Day and World Music Day this year.

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Solar Eclipse 2020 seen in the skies of Mumbai

 

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What makes June 21 special?

The Earth will be positioned in its orbit and the North Pole is at its maximum tilt towards the Sun today. The day also marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere. As the solstice takes place at the same time globally, it marks the longest day for one hemisphere, and the shortest for another.

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WATCH: Solar Eclipse 2020 from The Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital

 

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Solar Eclipse 2020 Webcasting

The Nehru Planetarium in New Delhi and the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, have also arranged a virtual live telecast of the event today.

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Solar Eclipse spotted in New Delhi

 

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When is the next solar eclipse in India

The next solar eclipse will be visible in India on October 25, 2022. It would be visible in the western part of India.

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Solar Eclipse in J&K

 

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Where can one watch the Live stream online?

 

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Watch the solar eclipse via the shadow of a bush or a tree

Take a look at the shadow of a bush or a tree. With the gaps between the leaves acting like a pinhole, numerous images of the eclipsed Sun can be seen on the ground.

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Make a pinhole in a card sheet

You can make a pinhole in a card sheet and hold it under the Sun. At some distance, keep a screen of white paper. The Sun’s image can be seen on this sheet. By adjusting the gap between the sheet and the screen, the image can be made larger.

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Do not use sunglasses, goggles to watch the solar eclipse

Do not use sunglasses, goggles, exposed x-ray sheet or lampblack over a glass. They are not safe. Nor is viewing the Sun’s image on the surface of the water. Only Welders glass number 13 or number 14 can be used to see the Sun directly with naked eyes.

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09:45 AM

Obscuration of the sun by the moon during annular eclipse

The moon will obscure the sun during this annular eclipse, creating a ‘Ring of Fire’. At the time of its greatest phase, the partial eclipse will be around 94 per cent in Delhi, 80 per cent in Guwahati, 78 per cent in Patna, 75 per cent in Silchar, 66 per cent in Kolkata, 62 per cent in Mumbai, 37 per cent in Bangalore, 34 per cent in Chennai, 28 per cent in Port Blair.

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A ring of fire eclipse will be visible in central Africa, Saudi Arabia, northern India, and southern China on 21 June.

 

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Partial eclipse in Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai

In Kolkata, the partial eclipse will begin at 10.46 AM and end at 2.17 PM; In New Delhi from 10.20 AM to 1.48 PM; 10 AM to 1.27 PM in Mumbai; from 10.22 AM to 1.41 PM in Chennai; and between 10.13 AM and 1.31 PM in Bengaluru.

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Where to watch ‘Ring of Fire’ in India

A PTI report said that the ‘Ring of Fire’ will be visible for one minute from places such as Suratgarh and Anupgarh in Rajasthan, Sirsa, Ratia and Kurukshetra in Haryana, and Dehradun, Chamba, Chamoli and Joshimath in Uttarakhand.

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Summer Solstice and ‘Ring of Fire’ Solar Eclipse coincide today

This is the first time since 1982 that the annular solar eclipse and the summer solstice fall on the same day. The next time these two events coincide will be on June 21, 2039.

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What do the stars have in store for you this June 21?

Are the stars lined up in your favour? Find out the astrological prediction for Aries, Gemini, Cancer, Leo and other zodiac signs for June 21, the longest day of the year that coincides with Summer Solstice. Click here to read more.

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Surya Grahan Time Today

The path of annular solar eclipse will start near Gharsana in Rajasthan around 10:12 AM. However, the phase of annularity will be only for one minute – it will begin around 11:49 am and end at 11:50 am