India witnessed this year's last solar eclipse today: Details here
India on Tuesday witnessed the year's last solar eclipse, which reportedly began in the country at Leh and Hanle in Ladakh, per the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. Though it was visible in many parts like Delhi, Chandigarh, Jammu, Lucknow, West Bengal, Chennai, and Bengaluru, among others, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and some northeastern states couldn't witness it. The eclipse continued after sunset in India.
The eclipse was first observed in the country from Ladakh
Why does this story matter?
During a solar eclipse, the Moon comes in between the Sun and the Earth and casts its shadow on our planet. An eclipse has three phases: the beginning, the eclipse reaching a maximum, and the end. Notably, a solar eclipse is never visible across the globe since the Moon is smaller in size than the Earth, and its shadow can't cover the entire planet.
The duration of visible eclipse varied regionally
The duration of the visible eclipse in Delhi and Mumbai was one hour and 13 minutes and one hour 19 minutes, respectively. It began at 4:29 pm and 4:49 pm, respectively. While it started in Bengaluru at 5:12 pm and in Chennai at 5:14 pm, it lasted for 43 minutes and 31 minutes, respectively. Kolkata witnessed the eclipse for 12 minutes from 4:52 pm.
Ladakh, J&K saw eclipse for maximum duration with 55% obscuration
Next solar eclipse will be visible in August 2027
Ahead of the partial solar eclipse, the Ministry of Earth Science urged people not to view it with the naked eye. It could cause damage to one's eyes and lead to vision impairment. Meanwhile, India will reportedly witness its next solar eclipse on August 2, 2027. Though it would be a total solar eclipse, it will be visible as a partial one from India.
