Guwahati: Indians will witness the ring of fire solar eclipse on Sunday, June 21, and this unique celestial occurrence is expected to once again bring out the superstitious practices passed down the generations.
For generations, Indians have believed that food and water should be avoided during the eclipse period, although scientists scoff at these traditionally held beliefs. Nutritionist and macrobiotic health coach Shilpa Arora, talking to media said that this is a very high energy period and vibrations are very strong. The coach has advised that the eclipse is a time to connect with oneself and meditate or just be relaxed.
The health coach has suggested that eating light could actually be a good idea. She said that people should think of eating light liquids, shakes, or juices to enable the body to reach a relaxed state. She said that one will be surprised by the benefits and mental clarity especially when the vibrational energy of the earth is high.
This annular eclipse will first be witnessed at its first location at 09:15:58 and the first location to witness the full eclipse begin will witness the spectacle at 10:17:45. The maximum eclipse will be observed at 12:10:04. The last location to see the full eclipse end will witness the spectacle will witness it at 14:02:17 and the last location to see the partial eclipse end will get to see it at 15:04:01.
As per NASA, at its maximum, the moon will cover up to 99.4% of the sun making it almost similar to a total solar eclipse. What makes this solar eclipse even more special is it falling on the same day as the summer solstice, which marks the longest day in the year. This is the first time since 1938 that both events are happening on the same day and the next year when these two days will coincide is in the year 2039. Incredible, isn't it?
What is an Annular Eclipse? A solar eclipse occurs on a new moon day when the Moon comes in between the Earth and the Sun and when all the three objects are aligned. An annular eclipse occurs when the moon is farthest from the earth, according to the NASA blog. Since the moon is farther away from the earth, it seems smaller and does not block the entire view of the sun. The moon is in front of the sun and looks like a dark disk on top of an even larger disk that appears like a ring of fire.
Sites where the partial eclipse will be seen