KARUR: As announced by scientists earlier, the annular solar eclipse was clearly visible in Karur district compared to other districts in the country. The Ring of Fire began forming at around 9.31 am and ended by 9.33 am. While people of Coimbatore were disappointed on Thursday as they could not witness the annular solar eclipse due to cloudy skies, a few enthusiasts smartly predicting the weather beforehand arrived in Karur to view the phenomenon. Over 5,000 people from Coimbatore and Namakkal arrived in Karur to catch a glimpse of the rare event.
Annular eclipse occurs when the moon is farthest from Earth and appears smaller in the sky.
The eclipse began at around 8 am and ended by 11 am. Saravana, who saw the eclipse, said, “As the last week of December is the coldest time of year, there is always mist. For the past couple of days, the sky in Coimbatore was covered by a thick blanket of clouds. It was a spectacular sight and experiencing it live from here is way better than watching it on TV.”
Tamil Nadu Science Forum (TNSF) and the Physics Department of Karur Government Arts College had arranged for camps and lent special equipment for people to view the eclipse. Chandramathi, a Class 8 student, said, “I feel very proud that Karur district was one of the places where we could view this rare eclipse. This was definitely a very unique and once in a lifetime opportunity for us.”