Mangalore: Solar Spectacle - Mangaloreans Gaze Solar Eclipse
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network- Mangalore (RS/SP)
Mangalore, Jan 15: The people of the city and various places across the coastal belt, thoroughly enjoyed viewing of the solar eclipse by using various instruments like x-ray films, as a reflection on the wall, through specially made scientific sunglasses and reflected images from the telescopes. The people were more interested in the eclipse this time, after learning that this is the longest solar eclipse of the century.
In the coast, the eclipse was partial, at around 80%.
The students of St Agnes group of educational institutions had a unique opportunity to view the annular solar eclipse at the facility provided at their premises by Amateur Astronomers Association (AAA), under the leadership of Prof Jayanth on Friday January 15.
With the help of a telescope, which has a capacity to reflect the image by magnifying it by 250 times, Prof Jayanth had arranged for the viewing of the solar eclipse at St Agnes college premises. Along with the viewing of the reflected image of the eclipse, he also described the scientific aspects of eclipses, to the students who were found to be eagerly and continuously asking him about various beliefs prevailing in the society about eclipses.
The students were surprised to see the reflected image of the eclipse. The students also used sunglasses made of fibre and alluminium content layers, provided by Vijnana Parishat. Several students also used X-ray films for watching the eclipse.
The solar eclipse started at 11.07 am in the city and continued till 3.06 pm. Nearly 80 percent of the sun was found to be covered at around 1.15 pm. It was partial eclipse in the city.
Prof Jayanth was assisted in his endeavour, by his daughter, Sangeetha, who displayed the reflected images. AAA has been arranging for the viewing of the eclipses in the city since some time. Prof Jayanth said that through such programmes, AAA has been trying to educate the students and the children to wriggle out of their superstitious beliefs. Providing scientific reasons for the eclipse will help the students to get rid of the superstitious beliefs, he added.