Total Solar Eclipse

What is a Solar Eclipse?

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth so that the Sun is wholly or partially obscured by the moon. This can only happen during a new moon, when the Sun and Moon are in conjunction as seen from the Earth.

At least two and up to five solar eclipses occur each year on Earth. Total solar eclipses are rare at any location because during each eclipse totality exists only along a narrow corridor on earth in the relatively tiny area of the Moon's umbra. A total solar eclipse is a spectacular natural phenomenon and many people travel to remote locations to observe one.

In ancient times, and in some cultures today, solar eclipses have been attributed to supernatural causes, as the Sun seems to disappear in the middle of the day and the sky darkens in a matter of minutes.

August 1, 2008 Total Solar Eclipse:

The total eclipse will be visible in the northern and eastern parts of North America, Greenland and northern Europe.

The sky gazers in India will miss an opportunity to watch a total solar eclipse on August 1 as the phenomena would only be partially visible in the country.

"The partial eclipse will be seen in the north-eastern region, starting from about 4 PM. In parts, northern India people will have a clear look of the eclipse, provided the sky is cloud free,” Director of Nehru Planetarium, Rathnasree, said.

Timing of Eclipse in various Regions of the World:

* 08:04 UTC (GMT) - Beginning of the general eclipse
* 09:23 UTC (GMT) or 04:23 local time- Total Solar Eclipse begins in northern Canada (Nunavut) (GMT-05)
* 09:30 UTC (GMT) or 07:30 local time- northern Greenland (GMT-02)
* 10:00 UTC (GMT) or 14:00 (02pm) local time- Novaya Zemlya (GMT+04)
* 10:10 UTC (GMT) or 16:10 (04:10pm) local time - reaching mainland of Russia (GMT+06)
* 10:21 UTC (GMT) or 16:21 (04:21pm) local time - greatest eclipse near Nadym (GMT+06)
* 10:45 UTC (GMT) or 17:45 (05:45pm) local time - Novosibirsk, Russia (GMT+07)
* 10:48 UTC (GMT) or 17:48 (05:48pm) local time - Barnaul, Russia (GMT+07)
* 10:57 UTC (GMT) or 18:57 (06:57pm) Mongolia time - Russia-Mongolia border (Mongolia time GMT+08)
* 10:59 UTC (GMT) or 18:59 (06:59pm) local time - Altay, China (GMT+08)
* 11:10 UTC (GMT) or 19:10 (07:10pm) local time - near Hami, China (GMT+08)
* 11:15 UTC (GMT) or 19:15 (07:15pm) local time - Jiuquan, China (GMT+08)
* 11:20 UTC (GMT) or 19:20 (07:20pm) local time - near Xi'an, China (GMT+08)
* 11:20 UTC (GMT) or 19:20 (07:20pm) local time - Eclipse ends (GMT+08)
* 12:38 UTC (GMT) - End of the general eclipse

The eclipse will begin at 1.34 p.m. when the shadow of the moon will first touch the earth and will end at 6.08 p.m. when the moon's shadow leaves the earth at sunset near a point in the Bay of Bengal close to Andaman Nicobar Islands, the release said.

The eclipse can be viewed from all over the country. In Delhi, the eclipse will start at 4:03 PM and end at 5:56 PM. It will be at its maximum at 5:02 PM.

In Mumbai it will from 4:27 PM to 6:03 PM, while in Chennai it will be visible from 4:40 PM to 6:07 PM and in Kolkata it will be seen between 4:18 PM and 6:02 PM where it will be relatively free from cloud cover.

The southern parts of India will see between 20-40 per cent of the diameter of the sun, while the northern parts of the country will see between 40-70 per cent of the diameter of the sun, at maximum of the solar eclipse.

Precautions and Warning:

According to the experts viewing the eclipse with naked eyes would be very dangerous. What is still more dangerous is viewing the Sun through a telescope or a pair of binoculars without a proper filter as it could destroy the eyesight.

The safest way of viewing a partial solar eclipse is through the method of projection. If you do not have access to a telescope or a pair of binoculars with which you can make this set-up for projection, an easy method will be to use a kitchen "channi" that has very small perforations.

However, if one wants to capture the moment, one should not use the viewfinder of the camera to look at the Sun, but only see the LCD display to check that the camera is aimed at the Sun, use the maximum of zoom possible.

NASA to provide live coverage:

The solar eclipse, which is to take place tomorrow, can be seen by viewers around the world, including India, as NASA, the US space agency has made arrangements to telecast live images of the rare celestial event.

NASA in partnership with the Exploratorium Science Centre, San Francisco, and the University of California at Berkeley, will transmit coverage of the total eclipse in a live streaming webcast.

NASA TV will cover the eclipse, to be visible in parts of Canada, northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia and China, from 1530 IST to 1745 IST.

The coverage will originate from China, considered one of the best observation locations because of the weather conditions there.

Viewers all across the globe can see the eclipse as it happens on NASA TV and by logging on to www.nasa.gov.

NASA coverage will feature views from telescopes and a live educational show during the eclipse.

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.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Movie Trailer

Harry potter fans are looking forward to movie " Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" based on the sixth installment in the series based on J.K. Rowling's books.

The trailer for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," has been released.


It looks like another well made and entertaining movie and should do well at the box office.

"I can make things move without touching them," a young Lord Voldemort says in an eerie voice. "I can make bad things happen to people who are mean to me."

"I can speak to snakes, too," he adds. "They find me, whisper things."

The sixth film, based on the novel Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is about Harry Potter in his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The teen wizard finds an old book marked "property of the Half-Blood Prince" and begins to learn more about the evil Voldemort's past.

The movie "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" will be released in theaters on Nov. 21.

Voice of India-Ishmeet drowns

In a very tragic turn of events the winner of 'Voice of India' singing contest, Ishmeet Singh, died under mysterious circumstances on Tuesday by "drowning" in a swimming pool in Male, the capital of the Maldives.

The second year Bachelor of Commerce student of MNC College, Mumbai, had gone to the pool for frolicking, but fell into its deep end leading to his drowning, said the hotel official.

The 19-year-old singer hailing from a middle-class family in Ludhiana, Punjab had gone to Maldives for a promotional event with the music company with which he had a contract.

Relatives at Ishmeet's residence here said the family was informed telephonically by the music company officials that Ishmeet died while swimming in a hotel pool in the Maldives.

Relatives, friends and admirers of the singer made a beeline to his house even as his shocked parents tried to come to terms with the untimely tragedy. A pall of gloom descended on the locality.

Ishmeet had Nov 26 last year won the 'Voice of India' singing contest, pipping his closest rival Harshit from Uttar Pradesh in a keen contest. He was given the winner's trophy by legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar herself.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said the country had lost a 'gem' and a 'void had been created in the music world that would be hard to fill'.

People in the film and music industry with whom Ismeet had associated were shocked by the news of his death.

Ishmeet's death plunged the music world into mourning and leading playback singers Lata Mangeshkar and Abhijeet and Shaan expressed shock at the incident.

"I was very happy when he won the Voice of India contest. Such a fate to befall one at such a young age -- I have no words to express my feelings," said Lata.

She said Ishmeet had an original voice and did not imitate anyone.

Reminds one the song which says" there are flowers which never even got a chance to bloom ...

May he rest in peace