Solar Eclipse June 2020 date, time, schedule in India

The world will see the first solar eclipse of the year 2020 on Sunday, 21 June 21 2020. Classified as the annular solar eclipse, the eclipse will show up as a ring of fire when the Moon hides the Sun from view during the maximum phase of the eclipse.

Solar eclipse and lunar eclipse are spectacular events when the Sun and Moon are hidden from view partially or fully for a brief period of time. Eclipses occur when Sun, Moon and the Earth come in a straight line.

Eclipses evoke the interest of people since each eclipse is unique and people get to enjoy highly unique kind of view of the Sun and Moon. Notably, no two eclipses look the same and there is something special about every eclipse we will come across. Hence Eclipses are special days for sky viewers.

On Sunday, June 21, 2020, we will see an annular solar eclipse. Due to the spectacular view expected during this event, annular solar eclipses are awaited with a lot of curiosity and excitement.

How an annular solar eclipse happens

Solar eclipses are of different types namely total solar eclipse, annular solar eclipse, hybrid solar eclipse and partial solar eclipse. Each of these types hide the Sun partially or fully in different ways. When the total size of the Sun is hidden by the Moon, a total solar eclipse results.

During an annular solar eclipse, the Moon happens to be farthest to the Earth and hence its size happens to be much smaller than that of the Sun. Hence during the maximum phase of the eclipse, we get to see the Sun as a ring of fire with the Moon hiding the central part leaving out the perimeter.

Date, time and duration of 21 June 2020 annular solar eclipse in India

As per the data published by timeanddate.com, on Sunday, 21 June 2020, the Annular Solar Eclipse will begin at 9:15 am. The peak phase of the eclipse will happen at 12:10 pm and the eclipse will close at around 3:04 pm. The total duration of the whole eclipse will be around six hours.

Usually, a lunar eclipse will precede or follow the solar eclipse. In 2020, we saw a penumbral lunar eclipse on June 5, 2020. And the next full moon on July 05, will be another lunar eclipse.


How to view the solar eclipse

No doubt solar eclipses are highly interesting occurrences in nature. We can safely look at lunar eclipses with our normal eyes. However, it is never safe to look at the solar eclipse with naked eyes. Viewing the eclipse with bare eyes can cause severe damage to the eyes. View the solar eclipse through a special telescope, or eclipse goggles to avoid any harm to the eyes.

See Also -
The do’s and don’ts of a Solar Eclipse
Why June 21 is going to be the longest day of the Year in India