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Astronomers in for a rare celestial treat

Although it will be visible from most of the southern parts of the country including Trivandrum, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari, Madurai, Rameshwaram, Thanjavur, etc, almost 64% will also be seen from Mumbai.

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Sky enthusiasts will have a rare opportunity to witness the longest annular solar eclipse occurring on Friday. With its path passing through the southern tip of India its partial phase will be visible throughout the country.

Although it will be visible from most of the southern parts of the country including Trivandrum, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari, Madurai, Rameshwaram, Thanjavur, etc, almost 64% will also be seen from Mumbai.

“It will look like a bitten-off biscuit,” said Piyush Pandey, director of Nehru Planetarium. “The places where partial phase would be visible will see varying degree of obscuration governed by the magnitude of the eclipse,”  The eclipse will begin at 9.35am when the shadow of the moon touches the earth at local sunrise at a point in Central Africa. It will end at 3.38 pm when the moon’s shadow will finally leave the earth at local sunset at a point in South China. In Mumbai, it will begin at 11.17am and end at 3.04pm.

The difference between a total solar eclipse and annular one is that during a total solar eclipse the sun is fully covered by the moon whereas during an annular one, the sun would not be fully covered.

DK Soman, amateur astronomer, said that a similar eclipse had occurred on July 20, 1944, which was visible from India including Dapoli, Pune, etc.

However, superstitious people stopped work since 9.34pm on Thursday. “I suggest that people, especially pregnant women, stay at home and refrain from undertaking any activity during this period,” said PL Joshi, an astrologer.

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