Thousands around the world witnessed one of nature’s most unique spectacles – A partial solar eclipse. In India, about 1.5 million pilgrims travelled to Kurukshetra in Haryana. According to Hindu mythology, those who take a dip in the waters of Brahm Sarovar in Kurukshetra on the solar eclipse day, is freed from all his sins.

The southern parts of India will see between 20-40 per cent of the sun’s diameter, while the north will see between 40-70 per cent of the sun’s

diameter.

From Canada to Russia, the eclipse is been seen across the world.

Security has been beefed up in Kurukshetra ahead of a fair to mark the Solar eclipse. Haryana Government sources said this precautionary step is being taken in the wake of the damage caused to life and property by the serial blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

The sprawling Brahm Sarovar or Kurukshetra tank as it is locally known, is one of the main centres of interest for the pilgrims. The tank has a surface area of 3.5 km and several lakh people can take a dip at a time in the holy tank. Pilgrims first bathe in the Sannehit tank at the time of the eclipse. The Sannehit tank is much smaller than the Brahm Sarovar.

The biggest and the last phase of the eclipse will be visible from most parts of the country, except Nagaland and Mizoram, where the eclipse ends after sunset. The maximum obscuration of the sun will occur at Sibsagar in Assam.

A total eclipse will be visible in Canada extending across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia and China.

While the whole country will enjoy the stunning occurance, Nagaland and Mizoram won’t experinece it, because that’s where the sun will finally set.

Viewers all across the globe can see the eclipse as it happens on NASA TV and by logging on to www.nasa.gov. The US space agency has made arrangements to telecast live images of the rare celestial event.

The biggest and last phase of the eclipse will be visible from most parts of the country, except Nagaland and Mizoram, where it ends after sunset, she said.

Solar eclipses do not take place every month because of the tilt of moon’s orbit around the earth which is elliptical, like the earth’s orbit around the sun. Therefore, the moon and the sun do not always appear to be precisely the same size in the sky.

The next solar eclipse — a partial one — will occur on January 26, 2009, but the phenomenon will be marginally visible from eastern and southern India.

But, today the southern parts of India will see between 20 and 40 per cent of the sun’s diameter while the northern parts of the country will see between 40 and 70 per cent of the sun’s diameter.

Experts say viewing the eclipse with naked eyes could be dangerous.

Major planetarium have made arrangements to show the eclipse to the enthusiasts and amateur astronomers through telescope using mylar solar filter in a projection system. In recent times, they have also become popular events for tourists across the world.

source:Times of India