HYDERABAD: People from across Hyderabad were looking skyward to witness the rare ‘ring of fire’. On Thursday, Hyderabadi’s saw the partial, annular solar eclipse where the moon partially covered the sun. The geographic location of Hyderabad allowed enthusiasts to see the partial display of the astronomical phenomenon wherein 70 per cent of the sun’s surface was covered, which looked like waning crescent moon.
“Around 8 am when the phenomenon started, the sky was relatively cloudy. We could see glimpses of the eclipse intermittently as the clouds passed along. Later, around 11 am, the sky was getting clearer and we could see the moon getting away from the sun,” said skywatcher, Swadesh who was along with his kids at GP Birla Observatory to watch the rare phenomenon.
“All that the Hyderabadis could see was a crescent, at about 10:45 am. Parts of South India, including parts of Kerala and Karnataka witnessed the sun and moon positioned in a way that formed a ‘ring of fire’. But unfortunately clouds limited scope of visibility,” said BG Siddharth, Director of BM Birla Science Centre.