As I look at life

Perseid meteor shower / shooting stars in India on 12th August 2009

Perseid meteor shower will be at its best on 12th August 2009. And yes, if skies are clear, Perseid meteor shower / shooting stars will be visible in India too!

What is Perseid meteor shower?

Well, while orbiting around the Sun, comets leave behind a trail of debris. Now when earth passes through the same path, a meteor shower is visible as these the debris particles burn in the earth’s atmosphere.

This time, the earth will be passing through the trail of debris left by the comet Swift-Tuttle. It takes as much as 130 years to orbit around the Sun. so the rare sight will not be visible to us again.

Solar eclipse July 22 2009 - Surya Grahan 2009

Solar eclipse in India:

Bhopal
1.Eclipse begins before Sunrise
2.Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:22:11 AM
3.Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:23:47 AM
4.Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:25:23 AM
5.Eclipse ends at 07:22:51 AM

Patna
1.Eclipse begins at 05:29:57 AM
2.Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:24:37 AM
3.Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:26:31 AM
4.Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:28:24 AM
5.Eclipse ends at 07:29:29 AM

Varanasi
1.Eclipse begins at 05:30:03 AM
2.Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:24:10 AM
3.Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:25:44 AM
4.Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:27:17 AM
5.Eclipse ends at 07:27:34 AM

Gaya
1.Eclipse begins at 05:29:34 AM
2.Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:24:26 AM
3.Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:26:04 AM
4.Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:27:41 AM
5.Eclipse ends at 07:29:00 AM

Surat
1.Eclipse begins before sunrise
2.Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:21:16 AM
3.Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:22:54 AM
4.Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:24:33 AM
5.Eclipse ends at 07:19:53 AM

Ujjain
1.Eclipse begins before sunrise
2.Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:22:51 AM
3.Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:23:40 AM
4.Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:24:30 AM
5.Eclipse ends at 07:21:56 AM

Vadodara
1.Eclipse begins before sunrise
2.Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:22:41 AM
3.Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:23:20 AM
4.Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:23:59 AM
5.Eclipse ends at 07:20:27 AM

Siliguri
1.Eclipse begins at 05:30:26 AM
2.Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:26:33 AM
3.Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:28:26 AM
4.Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:30:23 AM
5.Eclipse ends at 07:40:45 AM

Darjeeling
1.Eclipse begins at 05:30:35 AM
2.Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:27:01 AM
3.Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:28:30 AM
4.Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:29:58 AM
5.Eclipse ends at 07:33:07 AM

Sikkim
1.Eclipse begins at 05:30:40 AM
2.Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:27:15 AM
3.Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:28:30 AM
4.Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:29:58 AM
5.Eclipse ends at 07:34:10 AM

Source

Total Solar Eclipse in India on 22 July 2009

It’s true that the total solar eclipse will be visible in India on July 22, 2009. The time of the solar eclipse is from 5:28 am to 7:40 am (Indian Standard Time / IST). However, the total solar eclipse (when the sun is not visible at all) will take place from 6:26 am to 6:30 am.

Where will the total solar eclipse be visible in India?
As per reports, the total solar eclipse will be visible at the following places:
Bihar - Patna
Gujarat - Surat
Madhya Pradesh - Bhopal
Uttar Pradesh - Varanasi
West Bengal - Darjeeling
North Eastern States

Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai will witness a partial solar eclipse.

Weekends

The END bit in weekEND is very strong!

Chandra Grahan / Lunar Eclipse on July 7 – Not in India

A penumbral lunar eclipse / chandra grahan (in Hindi) will occur on July 7, 2009. However, the lunar eclipse will not be visible in India. The eclipse will rise over Australia after dusk on July 7. It will set over western North and South America in the early predawn hours of July 7. It will be difficult to see the eclipse with the naked eye.

Magnitude of the penumbral lunar eclipse: 0.156 at its maximum

Eclipse visibility: North America west of the Great Lakes, Hawaii and Alaska. The moon will be high in the sky over New Zealand and eastern Australia.

What is lunar eclipse / penumbral lunar eclipse / chandra grahan?

When does lunar eclipse / chandra grahan occur?

Lunar eclipse / chandra grahan takes place when the earth is in a straight line between the sun and the moon. Due to this, the earth’s shadow falls on the moon.

When does a penumbral eclipse occur?

Now, earth’s shadow has two parts: umbra and penumbra. There is no direct solar radiation within umbra. But in penumbra, the lighter part / outer portion of the earth's shadow, solar illumination is only partially blocked.

A penumbral eclipse takes place when the moon passes through the earth's penumbra. What happens as a result is that the moon’s surface appears a bit darker.