Solar Eclipse begins in city, Mumbaikars wake up to grey clouds

(Photo: Pradeep Dhivar)

Mumbaikars woke up to see thick grey clouds over the city, which is likely to deprive them of a glimpse of the solar eclipse, according to an IANS report. The rare celestial spectacle will start at 8.04am and continue for around three hours.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the Sun for a viewer on Earth.

An annular solar eclipse takes place when the moon's apparent diameter is smaller than that of the Sun's and blocks most of the Sun's light. This causes the Sun to look like a ring (annulus) of fire, Debiprosad Duari, the Director, Research and Academic of MP Birla Institute of Fundamental Research, MP Birla Planetarium, told PTI.

Partial phases of the solar eclipse will be visible from all over the country in varying magnitude depending upon the geographical position.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government said that all state government offices, courts, schools and colleges will be shut on December 26 due to the solar eclipse.

A partial eclipse of the sun will be visible from Bhubaneswar from 8.20am to 11.28am, the MET Centre at Bhubaneswar said.

An annular eclipse occurs when the moon covers the sun's centre, leaving the sun's outer edges visible to form a 'ring of fire' or annulus around the moon. The Ministry of Earth Sciences had said last week that an annular eclipse of sun will occur on December 26.

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