Days after the world gazed at the images of an eclipse on Mars, Earth is set to experience its first eclipse of the year on April 30. A solar eclipse will occur when the new Moon passes in front of the Sun, blocking the sunlight. The first eclipse of the year will be partial as the Moon will only block a fraction of sunlight.
According to Nasa, during the April 30 eclipse, 64 per cent of the sun’s disk will be blocked by the Moon as seen from Earth. The eclipse is partial, also, due to the fact that the Moon, the Sun, and Earth will not be aligned in a perfect straight line. The Moon will cast only the outer part of its shadow, which is known as the penumbra.
WHAT IS PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE?
According to Nasa, a solar eclipse happens when the Moon moves between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow on Earth, fully or partially blocking the Sun’s light in some areas. During the partial eclipse, the Moon does not completely cover the Sun, giving it a crescent shape appearing as if someone has taken a bite out of the object.
WHEN WILL PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE BE SEEN?
The April 30 partial solar eclipse will begin at midnight on April 30-May 1. According to the MP Birla Planetarium, Kolkata, the partial eclipse will begin at 12:15 am and end at 4:07 am IST.
WHERE WILL PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE BE VISIBLE?
The celestial event will be visible in the skies over Chile, Argentina, most of Uruguay, western Paraguay, southwestern Bolivia, southeastern Peru, and a small area of southwestern Brazil. It will also appear in parts of the northwestern coastline of Antarctica, in the Atlantic Ocean just off the southeastern coast of South America, including the Falkland Islands, and in much of the South Pacific Ocean and the Southern Ocean.
WILL IT BE VISIBLE IN INDIA?
No, the first partial eclipse of 2022 will not be visible in India.
