Solar eclipse 2019, the last of the decade: What you should know

Guwahati: The biggest celestial event of 2019 — Thursday’s solar eclipse — began in the morning and people gathered in huge numbers to witness the brief ‘ring of fire’, a rare natural phenomenon which came after 296 years.

The solar eclipse is being witnessed from India, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia. Meanwhile, in India, several southern towns got a full view of the ‘ring of fire’ whereas north India only witnessed a partial solar eclipse. People used solar filters and solar goggles for safe viewing of the eclipse. However, at many places, fog and clouds blocked the view of the last eclipse of the decade.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to describe his experience. “Like many Indians, I was enthusiastic about #solareclipse2019. Unfortunately, I could not see the Sun due to cloud cover but I did catch glimpses of the eclipse in Kozhikode and other parts on live stream. Also enriched my knowledge on the subject by interacting with experts,” he tweeted.

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The eclipse falls on a no-moon day or Amavasya which holds religious significance in India. Faithfuls throng temples and take a dip into holy rivers on this day.