Annular Solar Eclipse today, not visible in India

Hyderabad:The first Solar eclipse of the year which is the Annular Solar Eclipse will occur on Thursday.

However, this eclipse is not visible in India. Whereas worldwide it’s visible in regions covering Northeastern North America, Europe, Northern Asia & the North Atlantic Ocean.

Planetary Society of India (PSI) Director N Sri Raghunandan Kumar in a release said the last Solar Eclipse an “Annular Solar Eclipse” which was visible from India occurred on Jun 21, 2020.

He said the next Solar Eclipse, which is a partial Solar Eclipse, will occur on October 25, 2022 and is visible in India.

As per Indian Standard time (IST) the Annular Solar Eclipse begins at 1.42 pm this afternoon and end at 6.41 pm.The maximum phase of the eclipse will be at 4.12 p.m, he added.

An Annular Solar Eclipse occurs when the Sun and Moon are exactly in line, but the apparent size of the Moon is smaller than that of the Sun. Hence the Sun appears as a very bright ring, or annulus, surrounding the outline of the Moon.

Mr Kumar said a Partial Lunar Eclipse will occur on November 19 and a total Solar Eclipse on December 4 this year.

Superstitions – Pregnant Woman :

During Eclipse events various rituals have been followed in India traditionally. Particularly when an eclipse is visible pregnant women are prescribed various restrictions as rituals. However, though the Eclipse today is not visible in India, social media and in other places various restrictions are being imposed or promoted on Pregnant Women to follow. Fear of harm to an unborn child leading to Cleft Palate & other kinds of deformities is being promoted unscientifically.

He said Cleft palate is known as Bhang taal in Hindi is an opening or split in the roof of the mouth that occurs when the tissue doesn't fuse together during development in the womb.

A cleft palate often includes a split (cleft) in the upper lip (cleft lip) but can occur without affecting the lip. It’s interesting to note World Health Organisation (WHO) never in the past declared Eclipse as a Pandemic or Disease-causing event or never issued any health notification for women in India or across the world to follow during Eclipse.

Similarly, the Indian Government Health wing never issued any notification declaring Eclipse as a danger to an unborn child during eclipse.

PSI likes to state cleft pallet is a health disorder and Solar or Lunar Eclipse doesn’t cause this birth defect. In fact, not taking food on time, medicine on time, restricting a woman from attending natural calls, and subjecting her to stay put in the same pose/position throughout the duration of Eclipse may lead to complications.

Hence on days of Eclipse, we request pregnant women to conduct their activities like any other day and do not consider any kind of unscientific theories around eclipses, the PSI Director said.

What is interesting is though Lunar Eclipse on May 26 was visible in various parts of the country no traditions like closure of temples were done. Nor Astrologers and Pandits prescribed any rituals to follow by general public.

The Lunar Eclipse on May 26 was visible ranging from 2 minutes in Puri to 45 Minutes in Port Blair. Hence, asking pregnant women to follow unscientific practices when the eclipse is not visible on June 10 is completely wrong, Mr Kumar explained.(UNI)