Sun Eclipse, Solar Eclipse today 26 January 2009

Solar Eclipse 26 January 2009, India's RDay
A partial solar eclipse will occur on Monday afternoon when the moon will pass directly between the earth and the sun, according to PTI. The first place to witness the eclipse in India will be Kanyakumari at 1408 hours IST, while it will be visible from 1417 hours IST in Port Blair, the last Indian territory in which the phenomenon will continue till 1625 hours ISTpm.

Known as Surya Grahan ( Surya Grahana/ Surya Grahanam) solar eclipses involve several practices in INdia, some of them steeped in scientific wisdom and some in superstition.

Looking directly at the Sun even for just a few seconds, can cause permanent damage to the retina, because of the intense visible and invisible radiation that Sun's photosphere emits. This damage can result in permanent impairment of vision, and even blindness. The eye's retina has no sensitivity to pain, and the effects of retinal damage may not appear for hours. The best way to observe teh solar eclipse is to watch it on TV or at the local planetaurium. However, pin-hole cameras may also be used depending on the eclipse and the efficiency of the pin-hole cameras.Indian traditions have several beliefs regarding solar eclipse as applicable to food, bath and other rituals that are followed to this day.

The last solar Eclipse was 1 August 2008.The Next total solar eclipse is on 22 July 2009

For the eclipse on 15 january 2010 please see here

Solar Eclipse - some practices from India

IN continuation of the previous post on the solar eclipse ( Surya grahan in India - grahana in South India) due to occur on 1st August 2008, this post is regarding some common practices in India during an eclipse.
One does not eat during the eclipse. In fact, it is a belief that the food one has consumed must be digested before the eclipse begins. Hence, it is recommended to eat 4 hours before the start of the eclipse.
Once the eclipse is over, one takes a complete bath. Food cooked before the eclipse should not be consumed during the eclipse but food should be cooked afresh.
Some of these practices have no sanction from modern science as we know it today, but then science as we know it today does not explain everything does it ?

Another post that is giving information on the eclipse of the sun is this.
Solar Eclipse 1 August 2008
Sun Eclipse, Solar Eclipse today 26 January 2009
SOlar eclipse 22 July 2009
Solar Eclipse jan 15 , 2010

Solar Eclipse 1 August 2008

Friday, the first of August 2008 will be a day of total solar eclipse. It will be visible totally in parts of Russia, Mongolia and China. The solar eclipse will be partial in parts of North America, Europe and Asia including India.

In India, The eclipse will begin at 1.34 p.m when the shadow of the moon will first touch the earth and will end at 6.08 p.m. when the moon's shadow leaves the earth at sunset near a point in the Bay of Bengal close to Andaman Nicobar Islands.

A solar eclipse is a celestial phenomenon that occurs when the Earth's moon passes between the sun and the earth in such a way that the Sun is wholly or partially obscured from view from the earth. This happens only during a new moon day ( Amavasya in Indian languages), when the Sun and Moon are in conjunction as seen from the Earth. There can be between 2 and 5 solar eclipses each year on Earth, with upto 2 of them being total eclipses. Total solar eclipses are however rare at any location because during each eclipse totality exists only along a narrow corridor in the relatively tiny area of the Moon's umbra.


Looking directly at the Sun even for just a few seconds, can cause permanent damage to the retina, because of the intense visible and invisible radiation that Sun's photosphere emits. This damage can result in permanent impairment of vision, and even blindness. The eye's retina has no sensitivity to pain, and the effects of retinal damage may not appear for hours. The best way to observe teh solar eclipse is to watch it on TV or at the local planetaurium. However, pin-hole cameras may also be used depending on the eclipse and the efficiency of the pin-hole cameras.
Indian traditions have several beliefs regarding solar eclipse as applicable to food, bath and other rituals that are followed to this day.

The next solar eclipse is on 26 January 2009. The Next total solar eclipse is on 22 July 2009

The above scientific details have been condensed from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_August_1,_2008

The post regarding the eclipse on 22 July 2009 is available here.

The post regarding the eclipse on 15 Jan 2010 is available here.