Tue Oct 01 21:56:49 UTC 2024: ## Annular Solar Eclipse on October 2nd Will Not Be Visible in India
**Bengaluru, India – October 1, 2024** – While an annular solar eclipse will take place on Wednesday, October 2nd, it will not be visible from India. This is because the eclipse will occur during the night hours in India.
The path of annularity, which is a narrow band about 250 kilometers wide where the moon completely covers the sun’s center leaving a bright ring, will primarily pass over the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. It will also cross parts of southern Chile and Argentina.
“The greatest eclipse will be over the Pacific, beginning at around 11 p.m. IST on Wednesday, October 2, and ending at 2 a.m. IST on Thursday, October 3,” explained R.C. Kapoor, a former member of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.
Prof. Kapoor elaborated on the unique nature of an annular eclipse: “During this event, the moon is near its farthest point from the Earth, creating a bright ring around the moon’s silhouette.”
While this celestial event is fascinating, Prof. Kapoor pointed out that it holds less scientific value for solar astronomers as the bright ring of the sun overshadows the fainter corona.
However, the event remains a great opportunity for education and to dispel misconceptions. In Bengaluru, a group of rationalists called ‘Moodhanambike Virodhi Okkoota’ will be hosting an event at Town Hall from 9 p.m. onwards to serve meals, challenging the superstition that eating during an eclipse is harmful.
First Piper 