Parts of peninsular India experience annular solar eclipse

Danushkodi (TN), Jan 15 (PTI) A pall of dusk enveloped
and a golden ring of fire appeared on the sky a little past
noon on Friday over southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and
other parts of India's southern tip as the millennium's
longest annular solar eclipse covered a swathe of 1000 kms on
its path.

The rest of India only witnessed a partial solar eclipse
but the devout thronged the seas of Rameswaram and Kanyakumari
and rivers like Ganga for a holy dip they believed will wash
away the "ill effects" of the celestial event.
Over this southern tip the eclipse, the like of which is
expected again only in 3014, began at 11:14 AM and ended a
little after 3:00 PM with the peak seen for 10 minutes and
eight seconds during which sky-watchers could see the sun as a
ring of fire.
It was a spectacular sight when the photosphere of the
sun was covered by the moon thereby forming a ring of fire in
the sky for more than 10 minutes.
"It was less than dark but more than twilight," described
B Dasgupta of MP Planetarium, who was leading a group of
astronomers to observe the event. A similar event but not of
this duration is expected to occur in 2019 which will be
visible in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. MORE PTI TEAM
RBT


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