As the world gets ready to witness an annular solar eclipse, the last celestial treat of 2019, the door of the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati will remain closed in the morning hours on Thursday.
The solar eclipse, as per the Indian Standard Time, will start at 8:17 am and end at 10:57 am.
According to media reports, the eclipse will be visible in some parts of India, UAE, Sumatra, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Australia, and Singapore.
The annular solar eclipse, which is not a total eclipse, happens when the Moon covers the Sun’s centre, leaving the Sun’s outer edges visible, forming a “ring of fire”.
Normally, when the new Moon intersects the light of the Sun, it brings a total solar eclipse. But it won’t happen this time as the Moon is quite far away from the Earth.
The Kamakhya Devalaya managing committee informed that due to the eclipse on Thursday, the door of the Kamakhya Temple will remain closed in the morning hours till 12.30 p.m.
On normal days, the gate of the Kamakhya Temple is opened at 8 am.
The people residing in Ooty, Coimbatore, Mangalore, Tiruchirappalli, Kasaragod, and Shivagange will be able to see the “ring of fire”.
The residents of New Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Pune, Indore, Kolkata, Kanpur, Nagpur, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Vishakhapatnam, Ludhiana, Surat, Bhopal, and Agra will also be able to witness a partial solar eclipse.
The eclipse in Mumbai will start at around 6:05 am and end at around 10:55 am.
Media reports say, for the first time, an eclipse will be captured from the plane.
Two aircraft will be used to photograph the eclipse and this will be made possible by MAB Aviation in Ville Parle and Space Geeks, says the report.
It has been reported that Beechcraft C-90 will fly at an altitude of 10,00 feet and the other aircraft Cessna 172-S will fly at an altitude of 2,000 feet.
Both these planes would take off from Juhu aerodrome, proceed towards Shirdi and then return at around 9:45 am.
Due to the solar eclipse, the Odisha government has announced holiday on December 26.
How to watch solar eclipse?
– The solar eclipse should not be watched directly with naked eyes. The concentrated solar rays can damage the eyes.
– Homemade filters or dark sunglasses should not be used as they are not effective.
– People should avoid looking at the Sun even through a camera, telescope, binoculars or another optical device.
– If anyone wants to watch the eclipse, special solar filters should be used which are available in the market to witness the eclipse.