New Delhi: The first partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) of the year will be on April 30, 2022. According to NASA, it will be a narrow band of visibility across parts of Antarctica, the southern tip of South America, and the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. However, it will not visible from India but it can be watched online.
Looking directly at the Sun can lead to permanent eye damage or blindness, special eye protection or indirect viewing techniques are used when viewing a solar eclipse.
What is a Solar Eclipse?
A solar eclipse occurs when the position of the Earth is in such a manner that the moon either fully or partially covers, this happens with the Sun, the Moon and Earth are perfectly aligned. Partial eclipses are a bit longer than total eclipses.
ALSO READ: Zika Virus Can Become Even More Dangerous With A Small Mutation: Study
While total eclipses are rare, when they do occur they create a perfect umbra, these are because the timing of the new moon within the eclipse season needs to be more exact for an alignment between the observer on Earth and the centres of the Sun and Moon.
Beliefs around Solar Eclipses
While the natural phenomenon is fascinating and has a simple explanation now, it was considered a sign of bad omens. It is understandable for those who are unaware of the solar eclipse because the sun completely disappears for a few minutes only to be covered by total darkness.
There are several beliefs in India regarding the Solar Eclipse (Surya Grahan) as well, that one should not use sharp objects or eat food during an eclipse. According to astrology, this solar eclipse (Surya Grahan 2022) on this Shanichari Amavasya will not be seen in India. So, this solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) will not have any effect on India. It is believed that before the eclipse, the position of the planets can disturb some zodiac signs.