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Picture taken at
Rameshwaram using an H-alpha filter and at
the middle of the eclipse.
(Photo: Piyush
Pande) |
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ISRO to launch rockets to study Friday’s solar eclipse |
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Rameshwaram/Malegaon:
As the
shadow of the moon eclipsed the sun on Friday afternoon, leaving
only a blazing ring of fire visible, scientists, eclipse chasers and
spectators gathered in Rameshwaram cheered.
Thousands had assembled at the seaside pilgrimage spot to witness
this rare celestial phenomenon — an annular eclipse of the sun for
over 11 minutes.
The
eclipse, which could be seen across parts of Africa and Asia, began
in India around 11 a.m. in Kerala and was to end around 3:15 p.m. in
Mizoram. The southern tips of Kerala and neighbouring Tamil Nadu
offered the best views.
In an
annular eclipse the sun and moon are directly in line with
the viewing point on earth and the outer rim of the sun is visible
around the moon’s smaller shadow.
Director of
Nehru Planetarium Piyush Pande who is camping in
Rameshwaram
informed ummid.com, "The sky was completely cloudy in the morning
and then not a wisp of cloud an hour before the eclipse began. It
remained clear for the entire duration of the eclipse and the vista
of watching the Annular Solar Eclipse (ASE) is unexplainable."
People
at Dhanushkodi, about 18 km from here, touted as the best location
to watch the longest eclipse in a century, were excited as the moon
began to cover the sun.
It is
from places like Dhanushkodi, Kanyakumari, Varkala that people would
be able to see the ring of fire as the moon tries to block the Solar
disc leaving the edges flaring.
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Picture taken at
Rameshwaram using an H-alpha filter and at
the beginning of annularity.
(Photo:
Piyush Pande) |
“I’ve
seen many eclipses. But this is the first time I saw the golden ring
of fire. It was perfect,” said Paresh Sanyal, who travelled some
2,260 kilometres from Kolkata to Dhanushkodi. Sanyal, a veteran
of 15 eclipses, calls himself an ecliptomaniac.
ISRO
fires nine rockets
Two of
India’s rocket bases were in the path of the moon’s shadow, and the
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) set off nine small
sounding rockets before, during and after the eclipse to investigate
its effects on the atmosphere.
The
data collected would be used to study how the sudden cut-off of
solar radiation affects the atmospheric structure and dynamics, an
ISRO release said.
The
eclipse occurred at noon when the sun was at its zenith and its
radiation maximum. Combined with the fact that the eclipse was exceptionally
long, it provided a unique opportunity to carry out studies, the
release said.
Malegaon-ians elated
In Maharashtra
where most of the part in the state witnessed more than 50% Solar
Eclipse, the vista was enjoyed by everyone.
"Barely a month ago we
had seen the Lunar Eclipse that coincided with the last day of the
year. I also remember the Solar eclipse few months back. However,
today's was spectacular beyond belief", said Ather Shazan, a student
while speaking to ummid.com in Malegaon.
Rationalists encourage eclipse-watchers
In
Delhi, the eclipse began at 11:53 a.m.
Several skywatchers watched the celestial spectacle from Nehru
Planetarium in New Delhi where special arrangements were made.
Projectors, telescopes and special solar view goggles were made
available to the people who gathered to have a glimpse of the cosmic
event.
Many
people who had gathered at the planetarium were brimming with
excitement as they watched the celestial show.
The
Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators
(SPACE), a Delhi-based organisation, attempted to debunk the
superstitions associated with the eclipse, by encouraging people to
understand the celestial phenomenon.
“We
are encouraging people to eat food and drink water to bust all myths
about the eclipse,” Sachin Bahmba, founder of SPACE said.
“We
did several experiments like recording temperature, humidity, wind
speed and ambient light during the eclipse,” Bhamba, who himself
is an astronomer, added.
Luxury
vessel tracks eclipse
SPACE also tied up with a cruise ship company to follow the eclipse at
sea. The luxury vessel travelled from the port town of Kochi in
central Kerala to the Maldives Thursday, carrying over 800 tourists,
eclipse chasers and scientists from SPACE with special equipment to
view the ring of fire from the capital Male.
Kanyakumari, the country's southernmost tip, has turned out to be an
'eclipse destination', as thousands of people converged here to
watch the celestial spectacle.
Rajendra Ratnoo, district collector of Kanyakumari said: “Television
sets have been set up at the viewing centre near the Public Works
Department guesthouse. A telescope has been connected to a plasma TV
for people to see.”
He said around 750 students from 25 states have
come to Kanyakumari to witness the celestial spectacle.
According to the police, around 150 security personnel have been
deployed as they expect around 15,000 people to visit the viewing
centre.
Seven
telescopes have been set up in addition where facilities have been
made to view the eclipse through pin hole and mirror projection.
The
last time India saw this ‘Ring of Fire’ was November 22, 1965, and
it will not be witnessed again before June 21, 2020. The next
longest annular solar eclipse will be seen in 3043.
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