Ring of Fire: India to witness solar eclipse today; what is special about it

New Delhi, Dec 26: The last solar eclipse of 2019 is all set to amuse the sky gazers today. It will be visible in India, Marina Islands, Oman, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Qatar and Saudi Arab.

In India, the eclipse will reach from Southern India's west coast and its path will cross in a southeasterly direction. The maximum obscuration of the sun by the moon about 90 per cent in the city, followed by 85 per cent in Chennai, 79 per cent in Mumbai, 70 per cent in Port Blair and 45 per cent in Delhi.

What is solar eclipse?

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the Sun for a viewer on Earth.

Why today's Annular Solar Eclipse is special?

Though eclipses occur twice or thrice in a year, the annual solar eclipse is unique as it occurs when the apparent diameter of the moon is smaller than that of the Sun.

During the total solar eclipse, the moon completely blocks the Sun, while in an annular eclipse, the moon blocks the Sun from the centre but leaves the rims visible, creating a "ring of fire".

In India, the solar eclipseis visible from 8.06 a.m to 11.13 a.m on December 26, 2019.Annularity that lasts for 3 minutes will occur between 9:24 am and 09:27 am on the east coast and 9:31 am and 9:35 am on the west coast.

The next annual solar eclipse will be visible from India on June 21, 2020. It will be an annular solar eclipse.