Re: Local Release.........

On Wed, Jul 8, 2009 at 4:48 PM, PIB Calcutta <pib.calcutta@gmail.com> wrote:

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
* * * * * *

Total Solar Eclipse on July 22, 2009
Kolkata: July 8, 2009

A Total Solar Eclipse of longest duration in 21st century will occur
in the morning of Wednesday, July 22, 2009 (Asadha 31, 1931 Saka). The
eclipse is of special interest for the scientists and general public
of India as its path of totality passes through thickly populated
regions of west, central, east and north-east India. Consequently, it
provides a rare opportunity to view and study this grand spectacle of
nature. The partial phase of the eclipse will be visible throughout
the country.

Considering the Earth as a whole, the eclipse begins at 5h 28m IST
when the shadow of the Moon touches the Earth at local sunrise at a
point in the Arabian Sea close to the western coast of India. The
eclipse ends at 10h 42m IST when Moon's shadow finally leaves the
Earth at local sunset at a point in the South Pacific Ocean. At
approximately 6h 23m IST, the central path of the eclipse will touch
the Earth at sunrise at a point in the Gulf of Khmbhat in the Arabian
Sea near the southern coast of Gujrat. At this time, the path of
totality will be about 200 km wide and the duration of the totality at
the central line will be about 3 minute 30 seconds. The shadow crosses
over central India, passes through south-east of Nepal, crosses North
Bengal, southern part of Sikkim, most of Bhutan and north-western tip
of Bangladesh. Then the shadow enters Assam and Arunachal Pradesh,
touches Myanmar and enters China. The umbra sweeps over China, enters
East China Sea and then passes through Japan's Ryukyu Island. The
maximum duration of totality of 6 minutes 44 seconds occurs at 8h 05m
IST in the North Pacific Ocean where the width of the path is about
258 km. The rest of the path does not pass through major land areas.
It curves south-east through Pacific Ocean hitting some small atolls
in the Polynesia. The totality ends at 9h 48 m IST when the umbral
cone leaves the Earth at a point in the Pacific Ocean.

The next solar eclipse, which is an Annular Solar Eclipse will occur
on 15th January 2010. The path of annuality of the said eclipse will
pass through extreme southern tips of India.

sc/dk/kol/16:40  hrs.

--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited.blogspot.com/