DD may miss out on total eclipse

The reason: the Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO has refused to spare its costly camera and other state-of-the-art equipment, as the agency will be busy celebrating the birth anniversary of its founder, Dr Vikram Sarabhai, which falls on August 12.

As a result, according to highly-placed sources, Doordarshan has decided to make alternative arrangements to telecast the event via satellite from abroad. A G Dhaneshwar Rao, a co-ordinating official of the Gujarat Council on Science and Technology, who is here to liaison with various agencies, confirmed this, but refused to be drawn into any controversy. 8220;I know Doordarshan had planned and approached ISRO for the purpose, but do not know what happened later on,8221; he said.

On the event itself, Rao said science teachers and students from different parts of the country will be here to have a grand view of the total eclipse. He said they would be taken to Lakhpat, the last bordering taluka of the country, where the shadow of the moon will first fall on Indian territory. At this place, it will obstruct the view of the sun for a full minute.

However, the main experiments would be conducted at Bhirandiyara village where the total eclipse would be seen for 69 seconds, Rao said. The total eclipse will also be seen at Khavda for 59 seconds and Bhuj for 22 seconds. He said a sophisticated radio telescope from Germany had been brought to view the eclipse in the event of the sky becoming cloudy.

Rao said well-known astrophysicist V B Kamble will be here to conduct some experiments. Another scientist, Narendra Sehgal, will fly in a supersonic aircraft of the Indian Air Force to film the shadow. He will fly from Jamnagar within Indian air space to record the conditions before the eclipse and then move with the shadow back to Jamnagar.