Watch: NASA Broadcasts Total Solar Eclipse as Witnessed in US
How much do you know about the 21 August solar eclipse that everyone’s excited about? PS: NASA will livestream it.
Watch Live: NASA Broadcasts Total Solar Eclipse Witnessed in US
The United States is witnessing a total solar eclipse on Monday.
Total solar eclipses occur every so often, often in the middle of nowhere like the South Pacific or Antarctic. But what makes Monday's eclipse so special is that it will cut diagonally across the entire US.
What You Need to Know About Monday’s Eclipse
The total eclipse on 21 August, which will be seen for the first time in 99 years, has been dubbed "The Great American Eclipse", and is the first eclipse to cover the entire US in the 21st century.
It will travel diagonally from Oregon in the northwest to South Carolina in the southeast. The partial phase of the Great American Eclipse begins over the Pacific Ocean at 1546 GMT or 9:16 PM IST. The total eclipse ends at 1848 GMT near Charleston, South Carolina.
Evil Omen?
Solar eclipses are viewed with superstition in India. The phenomenon is considered to be inauspicious, especially for pregnant women and their families. They are instructed to not eat sour food items or use knives and scissors, among others. People believe the sudden changes in light and temperature affect the behaviour of some animals.
The eclipse has sent people in the US scrambling for special glasses to view it with. Those on the outskirts of US, well into Canada, Central America and even the top of South America, will be treated to a partial eclipse. Here in India, however, we’ll just have to be content with a livestream of this special event, while we wait.
(With inputs from AP)
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