On Saturday, March 29, people in many parts of the world will wake up to see a rare event, the first solar eclipse of this year. A solar eclipse happens when the moon blocks the sun’s light from reaching the Earth, either partially or completely.
The moon will only partially block the sun. This means the sun, Earth and moon won’t be perfectly lined up, so it will be a partial solar eclipse. According to NASA, the moon’s shadow will not completely cover the sun, so no one will see a total solar eclipse. However, the eclipse will still cast a shadow on parts of the northern hemisphere.
Will India See the Solar Eclipse?
No, the solar eclipse on Saturday will not be visible in India. According to NASA, the partial eclipse can only be seen in parts of North America, Europe, Africa, northern Asia, small areas of South America, Greenland, Iceland, and most of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans.
Sadly, the eclipse won’t be visible in India. But people in India can still watch it live on different online platforms.
Timing of the Solar Eclipse
In many places where the eclipse will be visible, people will see it as they wake up, so the eclipse will already be happening by sunrise. This includes parts of North and South America, especially the northeastern United States. In western Europe and northwestern Africa, people will see the eclipse in the morning. By the time it reaches eastern Europe and northern Asia, it will be afternoon or evening.
According to Indian Standard Time (IST), the eclipse will begin at 2:20:43 PM, reach its peak at 4:17:27 PM, and end at 6:13:45 PM, as per an Indian Express report.
Safety Tips for Watching the Solar Eclipse
Looking directly at the Sun during a partial solar eclipse can hurt your eyes, so it’s not safe. You should only watch the eclipse using special solar viewing glasses, also known as eclipse glasses. You can also use a handheld solar viewer. But don’t try to watch the eclipse with just regular sunglasses—they don’t protect your eyes.
Even if you are wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld solar viewer, you should not look through any optical devices like cameras, telescopes, or binoculars. The strong sunlight can burn through the filter and damage your eyes, according to NASA. If you want to use an optical device, make sure to use a special solar filter.
