New Delhi: The world will witness a total solar eclipse on Saturday, which will also be the second and the last solar eclipse of 2021. According to the Indian standard time, the phenomenon will start at 10:59 am and reach its peak at 3:07 pm.
The entire eclipse will occur in two parts--the first partial solar eclipse will occur between 10:59 am and 12:30 pm whereas the second one will start at 1:33 pm and last until 3:07 pm. Between 12:30 pm and 01:33 pm, the sun will be entirely blocked, leading to a total solar eclipse. It will thus last for a total time span of four hours and eight minutes.
The eclipse will not be visible from India, but residents of southern Atlantic countries like Australia, South America, South Africa and almost all the countries in the Southern Atlantic except Antarctica will be able to witness the eclipse. The Indian residents can see the eclipse through NASA's live streaming on its official website as well as the YouTube channel.
The last time a total solar eclipse similar to today's had occurred on June 10, 2021, while the next one could be witnessed on April 20, 2023.
The phenomenon of the total solar eclipse occurs when the new moon passes between the sun and the earth and blocks out the sun entirely. This total eclipse, however, lasts just for a short period and gradually turns into a partial solar eclipse as the moon passes further and its shadow from the face of the sun diminishes. A total solar eclipse is thus preceded and followed by two partial solar eclipses, in which some part of the sun is visible while the rest is covered by the moon's shadow.
Also read: First solar eclipse of the year on June 10
