26th December 2019 is the last time we will witness a solar eclipse this year. Today’s eclipse will be visible in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam.
The annular solar eclipse will be visible today across south India after nearly 75 years. India will only witness a partial eclipse this time in varying degrees according to the geographical positions of cities. The maximum effect of the eclipse will be visible in Kutta, a tiny village in Kodagu or Coorg in Karnataka. The village will witness the solar eclipse at 99-100% as it is located at 12.94 degree latitude and 77.61 degree longitude which makes it an ideal spot for stargazers and astronomy enthusiasts.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon comes between the Sun and the Earth, casting a shadow over a region of the planet. Solar eclipses are classified according to the area of the Sun that the Moon blocks. Several solar eclipses occur across the globe every year.
The year 2020 will witness six eclipses in all which include two solar eclipses and four lunar eclipses.
Solar Eclipses in 2020:
| Date | Eclipse | Regions where eclipse is visible |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Jun 2020 | Solar Eclipse (Annular) | South/East Europe, Much of Asia, North in Australia, Much of Africa, Pacific, Indian Ocean. |
| 14 Dec 2020 | Solar Eclipse (Total) | South in Africa, Much of South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Antarctica. |
The annular solar eclipse on 21st June 2020 will be visible from 9.15 am to 3.04 pm. The full eclipse will start from 10.17 am to 2.02 pm where 12.10 pm will see the maximum eclipse. The annular phase of this solar eclipse is visible from parts of Africa including the Central African Republic, Congo, and Ethiopia; south of Pakistan and northern India; and China. Weather permitting, people in these areas will see the characteristic ring of fire, according to timeanddate.com. In India, Gharsana (Rajasthan), Dehradun (Uttarakhand), Sirsa (Haryana), Tehri (Uttarakhand) will see the annular eclipse clearly.
The total solar eclipse on 14th December 2020 will be visible from 7.03 pm and reach the full eclipse by 8.02 pm. The maximum eclipse will be at 9.43 pm and end at 11.24 pm. The last eclipse of 2020 will be visible from Chile and some parts of Argentina in the afternoon. Some regions in southern South America, south-west Africa, and Antarctica will see a partial solar eclipse, if the weather permits.
Lunar Eclipses in 2020:
| Date | Eclipse | Regions where eclipse is visible |
|---|---|---|
| 10-11 Jan 2020 | Lunar Eclipse (Penumbral) | Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, Much of North America, East in South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Arctic. |
| 5-6 Jun 2020 | Lunar Eclipse (Penumbral) | Much of Europe, Much of Asia, Australia, Africa, South/East South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Antarctica. |
| 4-5 Jul 2020 | Lunar Eclipse (Penumbral) | South/West Europe, Much of Africa, Much of North America, South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Antarctica. |
| 29-30 Nov 2020 | Lunar Eclipse (Penumbral) | Much of Europe, Much of Asia, Australia, North America, South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic. |
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