Total Solar Eclipse – 22nd July
Circle the date 22 July on your calender to remind yourself about the solar eclipse on this day.The solar eclipse that will take place on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 will be a total eclipse of the Sun with a magnitude of 1.080 that will be visible from a narrow corridor through northern India, eastern Nepal, northern Bangladesh, Bhutan, the northern tip of Myanmar, central China and the Pacific Ocean, including the Ryukyu Islands, Marshall Islands and Kiribati. Totality will be visible in many cities such as Surat, Varanasi, Patna, Thimphu, Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, Hangzhou and Shanghai, as well as over the Three Gorges Dam. A partial eclipse will be seen from the much broader path of the Moon’s penumbra, including most of South East Asia and north-eastern Oceania.
This solar eclipse is the longest total solar eclipse that will occur in the twenty-first century, and will not be surpassed in duration until June 13, 2132.
Via The Hindu
“This is going to be an interesting event as the rising sun itself will be eclipsed. The solar eclipse will begin at 5.38 a.m. and will be partially visible from Bangalore. A maximum of 66 per cent coverage will be visible at 6.21 a.m. here,” C.S. Shukre, director of the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, told presspersons here on Wednesday.
He said that Bangaloreans may choose to travel to areas where the eclipse will be total. They could view it from a high-rise building or hills such as Nandi Hills. “Watching the sunrise is safe but people should not look at the sun with naked eyes if they miss the sunrise. They may use eclipse goggles to view it. The safest method is to project the sun’s image on a wall or white cloth with a pinhole camera and look at the image.”
Via The Hindu
As the sun and the moon play a game of hide and seek on July 22, channel Nick invites kids to witness the total solar eclipse. As part of the viewing, Nick aims to bust myths surrounding the eclipse. So, till July 22, Sponge Bob Square Pants and Dora the Explorer will bust myths and also help you learn more about the sun and the moon. What’s more? Nick gives its viewers ‘Nickgoggles’ with a filter to look at the ‘diamond ring’ the sun and the moon form during the eclipse. To lay your hands on the goggles, log on to www.nickindia.com or SMS Solar your name to 56882.
The Big Picture also has some beautiful pictures from the total solar eclipse of 2008. Don’t forget to take a look at them.
Update : A comment left on our blog directed us to the Manthan blog which has more information on the Solar Eclipse. You can buy safe solar viewers from them and also take a look at the maps and posters posted on the blog. (Thanks for the tip-off Meena)
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