Friday, 13 July 2018, will witness a solar eclipse – a celestial event during which the sun is obscured by the moon. The solar eclipse is scheduled to take place at 07:18 am to 08:31 am Indian Standard Time.
The Friday eclipse however is a partial one and the moon is expected to cover only a part of the sun. Indians will have little luck in observing this eclipse – second of the year 2018 – as it will be visible over the oceans lying between Australia and Antarctica.
People in India, however, will have to remain content with photos of the event, also known as surya grahan, from around the world. There may even be some live-streaming of the celestial event by NASA and other agencies.
This is the second solar eclipse of the year. The first solar eclipse of 2018 was seen in February, while a third is expected in August.
A solar eclipse is a celestial event wherein the moon blocks the sun by moving in between the Sun and the Earth. As a result, a shadow or cover of darkness engulfs the Earth till the eclipse lasts. Solar eclipses can be total, partial or annular in nature.
As the world gears up for this rare celestial event, here are a few do’s and don’ts for the solar eclipse:
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