Solar Eclipse 2024: Where can you watch this celestial event not visible in India?
In India, where can you watch the total solar eclipse unfolding on Monday night? Here are the options
The key celestial event – the total solar eclipse – to unfold on Monday night will not be visible in India but astronomy enthusiasts can still view the grand spectacle online.
Scheduled to commence from 9.12 pm today, and conclude at 2.22 am IST on April 9, this solar eclipse will only be visible in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and other parts of North America. However, Indians can primarily live stream this grand celestial event from the US space agency NASA website, or on NASA+, NASA TV and other sites.
This year it is said to be rare total solar eclipse where the moon will entirely cover the sun and the spectacle will appear as a ring of fire.
According to NASA's official website, "A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and earth, completely blocking the face of the sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk."
An estimated 31.6 million people are expected to witness Monday's event, which will commence in Texas at 11.57 pm IST on Monday and conclude in Maine at 1.05 am on Tuesday. Several American states will be in the path of this rare occurrence, often termed as the Great North American Eclipse.
There are several ways to live-stream this event:
The US space agency NASA will be offering multiple broadcasts of the total solar eclipse
Time and Date, a sky-watching site based out of Norway, will be live-streaming the solar eclipse from Llano and Texas
A team from the University of Maine will livestream the solar eclipse
NASA in a post on X stated, “Not in the path or want to join the #eclipse party? Wherever you are, watch the total solar eclipse with us on Monday. Our livestream begins at 1pm ET (1700 UTC). But how can you tune in? A thread…"
Meanwhile, celestial enthusiasts in India will have to cool their heels and wait until May 21, 2031 to observe a solar eclipse. At that time, this ring of fire will be witnessed in many parts of the country, especially in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
During the 2031 eclipse, the moon will cover approximately 28.87 per cent of the sun as it passes between the earth and the sun. However, it is a seven year wait for Indians.