2010 Solar Eclipse To Go Down In History

Friday, January 15, 2010, 15:09

The annual solar eclipse on January, 15 will go down in history as the longest solar eclipse of the century, the longest until, December 23, 3043.

It would be visible as a partial eclipse in parts of Africa, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Asia. Full eclipse can be visible from Central Africa, Maldives, southern part of India, north Sri Lanka, parts of Burma and parts of China. It enters India from Trivandrum, Kerala and exits from Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu. The span of total eclipse seen from India would be 10.4 minutes.

Indian space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch a series of rockets from two centres to study the eclipse and its after effects. The rocket would carry instruments to measure the physical parameters for the upper atmosphere. The rockets would be launched from Sriharikota in Andra Pradesh and Thumba in Kerala.

Both, the solar and the lunar eclipse come with many socio-religious beliefs. While the Chinese belief that a demon eats up the sun, others take a holy dip to get purified after the eclipse is over. Many people avoid cooking, eating and drinking. Though there are no scientifically proven facts, the the myth behind this is that some harmful rays enter the earth's atmosphere during the eclipse.