Witnessing The ‘Dark Side’: Two Out Of Five Major Eclipses Of 2019 To Be Visible In India

Astronomy enthusiasts will not be able to see three eclipses out of five that are expected to happen in 2019, PTI has reported.

The first eclipse of the year occurs on 6 January (partial solar eclipse). Superintendent of the Ujjain-based Jiwaji Observatory Dr Rajendraprakash Gupt told PTI that a total lunar eclipse will take place on 21 January will not be visible in India as it would be daytime here. When the total solar eclipse occurs on 2-3 July, it will not be visible because it will be night time in India when the phenomenon occurs.

A partial lunar eclipse that will happen on 16-17 July will be visible in India. The last eclipse of the year on 26 December, an annular solar eclipse can be observed by astronomy enthusiasts. Five eclipses were seen in 2018. Two of them were total lunar eclipses and three were partial solar eclipses.

A solar eclipse occurs when an observer (on Earth) passes through the shadow cast by the Moon which fully or partially blocks the Sun. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are exactly or very closely aligned (in syzygy), with Earth between the other two.