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This is an archive article published on November 26, 2021

Solar eclipse 2021 on December 4: How to watch, timings, visibility in India

The December 4 eclipse will not be visible from India. We can see a partial Solar Eclipse on October 25, 2022.

A solar eclipse is pictured during a cloudy day, in Villarrica, Chile December 14, 2020. (REUTERS)

On December 4, a total solar eclipse, which is also the last solar eclipse of the year, will be visible from Antarctica. NASA says that the cosmic phenomenon will also be visible from a few other parts of the globe. Sky gazers in the southern tip of South America, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand can see partial phases of the eclipse.

NASA has published an interactive map, which shows the path of the solar eclipse across Earth’s surface. The December 4 eclipse will not be visible from India. We will see a partial Solar Eclipse on October 25, 2022.

Also read | Lunar, Solar eclipses 2021 time, date

A total solar eclipse appears when the Moon passes between the Earth and the sun. The Sun is approximately four hundred times larger than the Moon and also 400 times further away from the Moon. This makes it look like both the Sun and Moon are similar in disk size causing the eclipse. This total solar eclipse comes two weeks after the partial lunar eclipse of November 19.

Announcing the @cessi_iiserkol prediction for the Sun's coronal magnetic field for the 4 December 2021 Solar Eclipse. The total #SolarEclipse will be visible only over Antarctica. Excited about eclipses? See our resources for the public and scientists at: https://t.co/oSS7ExRake pic.twitter.com/YpV6QjlOH7

— Center of Excellence in Space Sciences India (@cessi_iiserkol) December 1, 2021

On average, solar eclipses happen every 18 months somewhere on Earth but they last only a few minutes. The duration of the December 4 eclipse will be 1 hour, 43 minutes.

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Solar eclipse on December 4: Timing of the eclipse

The full eclipse will begin at around 7 am UTC, with the maximum eclipse at 7:33 am and ending at 08:06 am. For Indian time, the eclipse begins at 12.30 pm, peaks at 01.03 pm, and ends at 01.36 pm.

The solar eclipse will not be visible to everyone in India, but you can watch the celestial event online. Timeanddate.com will publish a live stream link of the solar eclipse, so that you can watch this event online on December 4.

Solar Eclipse 2021 on December 4: Do’s and don’ts

*Never look directly at a solar eclipse with your eyes.

*Do not use ordinary sunglasses or dark sunglasses to view the eclipse.

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*Special solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers should be used to view the eclipse. You can also use dark arc-welders glass.

*While using binoculars, telescopes, cameras to capture the eclipse, use a protective solar filter on the lens.

Also read | A shadow travels across Earth: This is how solar eclipse looks from space

How to make a pinhole box to view solar eclipse

A box pinhole projector can help safely view the solar eclipse.

*Poke a pinhole on one side of a rectangular longer box (a shoebox will do).

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*Tape a white sheet of paper on the inside of the other end of the box.

*Cut a hole on the bottom side of the box to view the image that falls on the paper.

*Now, stand with your back toward the Sun and place the box over your head. The pinhole side should be towards the Sun.

*Keep adjusting your position until you see the projection of the eclipsed Sun on the paper inside the box.

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