December 26, 2019 was marked on my calendar for a long time. Sun, Moon and Earth were scheduled to bring an end to 2019 with the majestic Annular Solar Eclipse. At the peak of the eclipse, the moon covers about 98% of the Sun disk with the outer Sun rim visible from Earth. This phenomenon appears like a ring and is known as the ‘Ring of Fire’.
I was in Kannur, Kerala in Southern India to witness this rare celestial event. A composite picture with key phases of the eclipse is presented here.
As the eclipse created its magic, my heart whispered to the Sun…
ए आफताब! हम तो कायल थे तेरे जोश-ए-नूर के लेकिन,
हमने तुझे भी मोहब्बत-ए-महताब के आगोश में देखा है
Translation:
Oh Sun! I was in awe of your power but,
I can see even you in love with the Moon
Image Gallery
June 21, 2020 was another important day for celestial magic. This time North India witnessed the Annular Solar Eclipse and the Ring of Fire. Mumbai witnessed Partial Solar Eclipse with maximum magnitude of about 0.70. The weather was cloudy and the view of the Sun was not clear most of the time. Moreover, it rained heavily in the last one hour of the eclipse period. Nevertheless, I managed to capture some moments of this beautiful show. Here’s a time lapse video of the eclipse…