Fog may play spoilsport during solar eclipse Jan 15

NEW DELHI - As the capital’s residents eagerly await the millennium’s longest annular solar eclipse Jan 15 - even if seen only partially from here, dense fog predicted early in the day by the Met department may play spoilsport in viewing the celestial phenomenon.

D.P. Yadav, director of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) told IANS: “There is likely to be heavy fog in the early hours of both Thursday and Friday in Delhi. However, whether the conditions remain the same through the day depends on the wind speed.”

According to Yadav, while the rain early Wednesday cleared the skies, it has increased the chances of dense fog in the coming days.

“There will be no clouds and no rain in the coming days. But the probability of dense fog is definitely there. If the wind speed is strong enough there are chances that the fog disperses. In any case, the eclipse will not begin before 11 a.m. on Friday, so the possibility of a clear visibility is still there,” he added.

The annular solar eclipse will start around 11 a.m. in India and end around 3.15 p.m. The eclipse will first be seen in south of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and then move to Rameshwaram and Dhanushkodi. It will end in Mizoram in the northeast.

Delhi will see the partial phase of this solar eclipse. It will start at 11.53 a.m. and end at 3.11 p.m. The maximum eclipse of 53 percent will be at 1.39 p.m.

Various places in the capital like the Nehru Planetarium and the Amateur Astronomers Association have made arrangements for people to watch the celestial sight Jan 15.