Solar eclipse 2021 in India: Date, Time and Visibility

Solar eclipse 2021 in India: Solar eclipse is a natural phenomenon that takes place at least twice a year. According to astronomers, at least two solar eclipses can be observable in India next year.

Photo: Indiatoday

When does a solar eclipse happen?

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon gets between Earth and the sun, and the moon casts a shadow over Earth. A solar eclipse can only take place at the phase of the new moon when the moon passes directly between the sun and Earth and its shadows fall upon Earth’s surface.

Types of Solar Eclipses

There are 4 different types of solar eclipses. How much of the Sun's disk is eclipsed, the eclipse magnitude, depends on which part of the Moon's shadow falls on Earth.

Partial solar eclipses occur when the Moon only partially obscures the Sun's disk and casts only its penumbra on Earth.
Annular solar eclipses take place when the Moon's disk is not big enough to cover the entire disk of the Sun, and the Sun's outer edges remain visible to form a ring of fire in the sky. An annular eclipse of the Sun takes place when the Moon is near apogee, and the Moon's Antumbra falls on Earth.
Total solar eclipses happen when the Moon completely covers the Sun, and it can only take place when the Moon is near perigee, the point of the Moon's orbit closest to Earth. You can only see a total solar eclipse if you're in the path where the Moon casts its darkest shadow, the umbra.
Hybrid Solar Eclipses, also known as annular-total eclipses, are the rarest type. They occur when the same eclipse changes from an annular to a total solar eclipse, and/or vice versa, along the eclipse's path.

How often does a solar eclipse happen?

Photo: Sanchit Khanna

Every year between two and five solar eclipses occur, each one visible only in a limited area. So, mostly calendar years have two solar eclipses. The maximum number of solar eclipses that can take place in the same year is 5, but this is rare, said Indiatoday.

"According to NASA calculations, only about 25 years in the past 5,000 years have had 5 solar eclipses. The last time this happened was in 1935, and the next time will be in 2206."

Solar Eclipses in 2021

June 10: The first Solar Eclipse of 2021 would take place on June 10, 2021, and it will be witnessed from much of Europe, much of Asia, North Africa, West Africa, much of North America, Atlantic, and Arctic. In India, the first solar eclipse of 2021 would start around 1:42 pm IST and conclude at 6:41 pm, according to Zeenews.India.

Meanwhile, Ujjain-based Jiwaji Observatory’s Superintendent Dr. Rajendraprakash Gupt said that the annular solar eclipse on June 10 will not be visible in India, and in this event, the moon will come between the sun and earth, leading to the sun getting covered 94.3 percent and being seen as a ‘ring of fire’.

December 4: The last solar eclipse of 2021 will be visible on December 4, 2021. The solar eclipse would be visible in the South in Australia, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Antarctica.

The last solar eclipse of 2020 occurred on December 14 (Monday) and it lasted in India for around five hours. The last solar eclipse 2020 started at 07:03 in the evening in India and will end at 12:23 pm.

It is widely believed in India that solar eclipse affects our sun signs and astrologers also claim that solar eclipse affects our lives too.

In India, people follow some rules during the solar eclipse. Many people refrain from using a sharp object during the solar eclipse. Pregnant women are advised not to venture outside the home during the solar eclipse. The timings of a solar eclipse are considered inauspicious by many and this is one of the main reasons why people do not do anything important during this time.

Lunar Eclipse in 2021

May 26: According to astronomers, the first lunar eclipse of 2021 will occur on May 26 and this will be a total lunar eclipse. This lunar eclipse will be visible in South Asia, East Asia, Australia, much of North America, South America, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Antarctica.

According to Timeanddate.com, in India, the eclipse would begin at 2:17 pm and end at 7:19 pm.

“The earth will cover the moon by 101.6 percent during this astronomical event,” Ujjain-based Jiwaji Observatory’s Superintendent Dr. Rajendraprakash Gupt said.

Photo: Zeenews.India

November 18-19: The second lunar eclipse of 2021 would be a Partial Lunar Eclipse. It will be visible in much of Europe, much of Asia, Australia, North Africa, West Africa, North America, South America, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the Arctic.

In India, the eclipse would start at 11:32 am and end at 6:33 pm.

“At the peak of this event, 97.9 percent of the moon will be seen covered by the earth’s shadow”, Gupt said.

The last lunar eclipse of 2020 took place on the full moon date of Shukla Paksha of Kartik month on November 30.

There are 3 types of lunar eclipses - Total, Partial, and Penumbral.

The first penumbral lunar eclipse of 2020 occurred on January 10, the second on June 5, and the third on July 5.

According to the Hindu religion, people follow some rules during the lunar eclipse. Many people do not use a sharp object during the eclipse. Many Hindus observe fast.

Significance

As per the Hindu religion, people, especially pregnant women follow several rules during the Chandra Grahan such as observing fast, not using sharp objects, or not sleeping during the eclipse. During the eclipse, people are advised to chant mantras to give power to the gods. All these are done because earlier when Sun and Moon were the only sources of light, people's lives were affected due to change in the movements during the eclipse, so people, stopped their work during that period.

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