As viewed from Earth
Sun
ECLIPSE EVENTS OF 2011
The year 2011 is going to be an eventful year from astronomical point of view. Six eclipses; four Partial Solar Eclipses and two Total Lunar Eclipses are waiting to occur during the year 2011. First of the six eclipse – The Partial Solar Eclipse will occur on January 4th 2011, visible from Europe, Africa & Central Asia including India.
Eclipse events provide unique opportunity for the academic Generally speaking eclipse is obscuring of a heavenly body fraternity to conduct experiments, test hypothesis, verify by another heavenly body. When the Sun, the Earth and the results, deduce physical quantities otherwise difficult to moon fall along a straight line, causing one to be hidden deduce. The 29th May 1919 Total Solar Eclipse helped to behind another, when viewed from the third, we experience confirm Einstein's celebrated “Theory of General Relativity” an Eclipse. Thus apart from the possibility of those Inferior Planets Mercury and Venus traversing between Earth and In India, the January 4th 2011, partial eclipse of the sun would Sun (Transit), there are two more common be seen starting from Srinagar at 14h 37.6m Eclipse events of 2011 possibilities. First the Moon traverse followed by Amritsar, Jalandhar, Simla, January 4th Partial Solar Eclipse between Earth and Sun casting its shadow Chandigarh, Dehradun, Dwarka, Haridwar, Partial Solar Eclipse on Earth (Solar Eclipse) and the second the June 1st Delhi, Ajmer, Jaipur and Nainital. Total Lunar Eclipse Earth traverse between Moon and Sun June 15th Unfortunately the eclipse will not be visible Partial Solar Eclipse casting its shadow on Moon (Lunar Eclipse). July 1st from A&N Islands. Similarly remaining three November 25th Partial Solar Eclipse Solar Eclipses during the year will not be Depending on the position of the December 10th Total Lunar Eclipse visible from anywhere in India. But both the Moon/Earth, the shadow cast may result in Source : www.packolkata.org lunar eclipses would be visible from India. three eclipse situations (see figure). Places falling in the Umbra region (Moon completely covers the Sun) will see Total Eclipse. Places in the Penumbra region (Moon only partially in front of the Sun) will see a partial eclipse and those places falling within the Antumbra region (Moon completely in front of the Sun but too Small to completely cover the Sun) will see only an Annular Eclipse. Since the orbital plane of the Moon is tilted (50) with respect to Earth’s orbital plane (the ecliptic), eclipses occurs only when the Moon is close to the intersection of these two planes (the nodes). The Sun, Earth and nodes are aligned twice a year, and eclipses can occur during a period of about two months around these times. There can be 4 to 7 eclipses in a calendar year and repeated according to various eclipse cycles, such as the Saros cycle.
General public will be tempted to look at the Sun during eclipse, but one need to know looking directly at the Sun (except during totality), even for a few seconds is extremely harmful for the eyes. Also viewing the Sun through any optical devices such as binoculars, telescope, or through a camera viewfinder, exposed X-ray film, CD’s etc are equally harmful and not advisable. Approved solar filter (Shade # 14, welder’s glass) could be used to view the Sun or the eclipse. Indirect projection method such as Pin Hole Camera is the best to observe an eclipse. Children viewing the eclipse are required to be supervised by an informed adult. References : www.en.wikipedia.org, www.packolkata.org Image courtesy : Daniel M. Short, en:User:EdC DEBKUMAR BHADRA Technical Officer-I, Multiparametric Geophysical Observatory, IIG, Shoal Bay No-8, South Andaman – 744206, email : debkumar_bhadra@yahoo.com