BHUBANESWAR: People will experience the last solar eclipse of the decade on December 26, a day after Christmas. The annular solar eclipse will be visible in most parts of India, including Odisha. In the State the maximum visibility will be around 55 to 65 per cent, informed experts at Pathani Samanta Planetarium on Tuesday.
Deputy Director of Pathani Samanta Planetarium, Bhubaneswar, Subhendu Pattnaik said during the eclipse, moon will cover the sun leaving its outer edges to form an annulus or ‘ring of fire’. The annular phase of the eclipse will be visible in the morning in a narrow corridor of Southern part of India -- Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu -- and it will be seen as partial solar eclipse from the rest of the country.
Obscuration of the sun by moon at the time of greatest phase of partial eclipse will be around 55 to 65 pc in Odisha and 54 pc in Bhubaneswar.“For Bhubaneswar, the partial phase will start at 8.20 am and end at 11.28 am,” Pattnaik said. “The celestial marvel would be clearly visible in the State capital after a gap of 10 years. The last eclipse clearly visible and for a long time from Bhubaneswar was in 2010. Though another solar eclipse had occurred in 2015, it had happened early in the morning and was visible from Bhubaneswar only for around 10 minutes,” he said.
The Deputy Director said during solar eclipse it is not advised to look at the sun with naked eyes.
“Since science enthusiasts are waiting for the event anxiously there will be special arrangements at planetarium for safe viewing of the eclipse on the day,” he said, adding “Other institutions like SCAAA and Bigyan Chetana Manch will also make arrangements for public viewing of the event at Institute of Physics and BJB College respectively.”
The next solar eclipse will be visible from India on June 21, 2020. It will be an annular solar eclipse. A narrow path of annularity will pass through northern part of India, he said. Govt offices, educational institutes closedKeeping in view the partial solar eclipse, the State Government has announced closure of all schools and colleges on December 26. Sources said, government offices will also remain shut down during the day.