Solar Eclipse 26 December 2019 Live Updates: The last solar eclipse of the year 2019 is officially over. This was an annular eclipse which happens when the moon is farthest from the Earth and only partially covers the sun. While in a total solar eclipse, the sun gets entirely covered, in an annual eclipse the outer rim of Sun stays visible making a Ring of Fire in the sky.
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The event was seen in Saudi Arabia, India, Sumatra, Borneo, and Asia. In India, it started roughly at around 8:00 am with a partial eclipse and was seen in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and other parts of the country as well, though the best views were down south. In Delhi, the cloud cover meant only a partial glimpse at the eclipse.
The maximum eclipse was at 10:47 am when the Moon was closest to the centre of the Sun. The partial eclipse ended by 1:35 pm. Pictures have been pouring in from India and other parts of the world, with people lining up to watch the celestial phenomena.
Read Horoscope Today, December 26, 2019 | Solar Eclipse 2019 happening: Timing, Places that witnesses the eclipse, How to watch live
The last solar eclipse of the year was an annular eclipse creating a ring of fire. The celestial event was visible from India, Saudia Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia, Oman, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Marina Islands, and Borneo.
As per timeanddate.com, the eclipse began in India at 7:59 am and the annular phase at 9:04 am. The maximum eclipse started at 10:47 am and the full eclipse was over by 12:30 pm. By 1:35 pm, even partial eclipse was over.
In the first picture, students hold special filters to watch a solar eclipse from the Santiratwitthayalai School in Bangkok, Thailand on Thursday, December 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
In this photo below, a bird flies during the solar eclipse in Bangkok, Thailand December 26, 2019. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
Here are stunning pictures posted of the solar eclipse by a user on Twitter.
Here's a picture of the solar eclipse in Delhi, though the cloud cover meant the view was not clear. Image via Karanveer Singh Arora.
It's a full house to watch the solar eclipse in Kochi, Kerala. Crowds at the Durbar Hall in Kochi to watch the Annular Solar eclipse of 2019. All photos via Gokul Nair.
Solar Rear Projection Telescope (Declination Mount) in Thiruvananthapuram
Crowds at the Durbar Hall in Kochi to watch the Annular Solar eclipse of 2019. All pictures via Gokul Nair
Well going by NASA's charts it could be a long, long wait here in India to view a solar eclipse, be it total, partial or even annular. The next annular solar eclipse will only be visible in India by 2031 on May 21, which is nearly after 12 years. The wait for the next total solar eclipse is longer and it will only be visible in 2034 on March 20. Then there's a dry spell for a long time, and a total eclipse will be seen on Jan 05 in 2057 .
The Solar eclipse might not be clearly visible in Delhi, but that has not stopped PM Modi from gazing at the sky and while the cloud cover did not let him see the eclipse here, he did manage to check it out in Kozhikode via a livestream. Check out his tweet below:
Solar eclipse as seen from the Kochi Bay.
Telescopes are the best way to view any celestial events. In these photos, people see the eclipse through Special telescope arranged by Kerala Science and Technology Museum at Central Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram. As always, keep eye safety in mind when viewing a solar eclipse and never look at the sun's rays directly.
It is a packed house as people come to watch the last annual solar eclipse of 2019 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
People in Thiruvananthapuram have come out to watch the Solar Eclipse, which is taking place today. (Express Photos)
In this photo, an eclipse camp is conducted by Breakthrough Science Society Kerala chapter. Image from Kochi via the Breakthrough Science Society. The solar eclipse of December 26, 2019 is the last one of the year and is an annular eclipse.
While there are many supersititions associated with solar and lunar eclipses, when it comes to a solar eclipse, there is only one thing you need to worry about: EYE SAFETY. This is the main thing to keep in mind as it is not safe to look directly at the sun's rays during an eclipse, even when it is partly covered, warns US space agency NASA. Eclipse glasses are a must and need to be worn at all times. Or you need to see the eclipse indirectly. The only period when it is safe to look at the sun is when the "moon completely obscures the sun – known as the period of totality" says NASA, but it adds that you need to know when to quickly put back those safety glasses. Remember totality only lasts a few minutes at most.
NASA says it is only safe to look at the eclipse when there is no longer any direct sunlight coming towards you. But they warn that people must remain vigilant to protect eyes as the entire total eclipse may take only a minute or two at the most. Once the moon begins to move again and you see brightening on the opposite side from where the diamond ring shone at the beginning, this is a sign to stop looking at the eclipse. Make sure you have safety glasses back on.
These visuals are from Kerala's Kozhikode.
The eclipse today is the last eclipse of 2019 and really of the decade. However, this is an annular solar eclipse and not a total solar eclipse. In a total solar eclipse, the Moon appears to cover the Sun entirely, and there is a moment of pitch darkness during the day. In an annular solar eclipse, the Moon is too far away to completely cover the Sun's disk, at least from our perspective here on Earth. Only a part of the Sun is covered in annular eclipses.
According to NASA's website, it is best to check weather forecasts before the eclipse and choose a location with the best chance of a cloud-free sky during the eclipse. Good weather is the key to successful eclipse viewing, according to the US space agency.
Dubai witnessed the annular eclipse in its full glory. In this type of an eclipse, the moon does not block the sun completely, but looks like a “dark disk on top of a larger sun-colored disk” forming a “ring of fire”. (Picture credit: ANI)
Cloudy skies in Wayanad make it difficult for people to watch the eclipse, other districts like Kasaragod, Kannur, Kottayam can view it clearly. Edu Min C Raveendranath visited the central stadium in Thiruvananthapuram to join the eclipse watching party and exhorted students across the state to make this event a festival and not fall for superstitions. 'Payasam' (pudding) is also being made at the venue to dispel the notion that food can't be consumed during the eclipse.
This is why an annular solar eclipse is so rare
Students of A B Goregaonkar English School watching the solar eclipse in their school premises at Goregaon in Mumbai.
(Express photo by Prashant Nadkar)
Across Kerala people are watching the eclipse at special arrangements made by the administration as well as local science clubs. In Kerala, the eclipse is best visible in the northern districts of Kannur, Kasargode, Kozhikode and Wayanad. Some estimates claim over 6,00,000 solar goggles have been distributed across the state so that people can observe the eclipse safely. Watching an eclipse with the naked eye can be harmful.
Our first images from Kochi does not show much, but parts of Kerala can now clearly see the eclipse.
In many parts of western India, especially Mumbai and Pune, people are unable to see the eclipse because of the cloudy skies.
The first visuals of the eclipse have started coming from Kerala
An eclipse happens when the moon comes in between the sun and the Earth and blocks the former's light from reaching the latter, causing an eclipse of the sun or a solar eclipse. There are three types of eclipses: one is a total solar eclipse, which is visible only from a small area on Earth; partial solar, in which the shadow of the moon appears on a small part of the sun; and annular solar eclipse, which happens when the moon is farthest from the Earth, which is why it seems smaller.
Read more in our Explained section
The annular eclipse has begun. Some of the areas in India from where the annular solar eclipse can be viewed include Kannur, Ooty, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Erode Trichy, Madurai and Karaikudi among a few others.
People watching the solar eclipse this morning should use safe viewing equipment and proper techniques to view the celestial event as the infrared and ultraviolet rays of the Sun can cause severe retinal damage, a senior astronomer has said.
An eclipse never comes alone and there are usually two eclipses in a row. A solar eclipse occurs about two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse. According to timeanddate.com, there will be a total of six eclipses in 2020 out of which four are lunar eclipses and two are solar eclipses.
The live stream will also be available on the YouTube channel of Tharulowa Digital. For those who will be viewing the eclipse directly should remember to avoid observing with naked eyes and wear eye protection.
People who cannot watch the last solar eclipse of 2019 directly can see the livestream of the event. There are a couple of websites that will stream the solar eclipse including Slooh.com– the official website of the Sri Lankan astronomy channel called Tharulowa Digital.
NASA’s map on the December 26 eclipse suggests that the path of the eclipse will cross in a south-easterly direction. Cities falling on the eclipse’s path across Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu will also be able to see the “ring of fire”.
As per Eclipseportal, the annular solar eclipse of December 26 will begin around 180 kilometres west of Dammam in eastern Saudi Arabia. In India, the eclipse will reach from the west coast of Southern India and Coimbatore will be the first major city to see the annular eclipse.
An annular solar eclipse is a bit different from a normal solar eclipse. In the latter one, the Moon completely covers up the Sun blocking its rays from reaching the Earth. However, in an annular eclipse, the Moon covers up the Sun from the centre but leaves the outer rim visible. This creates a ring of fire in the sky.
The celestial event will fall over the Eastern hemisphere of the Earth and visible from India, Saudia Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia, Oman, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Marina Islands, and Borneo.
The annular phase or the full eclipse will start at 9:04 am whereas the maximum eclipse will start at 10:47 am when the moon is closest to the centre of the sun. The full eclipse will end by 12:30 pm and by 1:35 pm, the moon will leave the edges of the Sun, ending the partial eclipse.
As per the information available on timeanddate.com, the final solar eclipse of 2019 event will occur on December 26. It will begin in India at 7:59 am with a partial eclipse when the moon touches the edge of the Sun.