Earth will be hosting a rare type of solar eclipse this June 21 which is coinciding with the summer solstice, or the first day of summer. June 21 also marks the longest day of the year, when we will get to witness a celestial event known as the ‘Ring of Fire’ solar eclipse or annular solar eclipse. In India, the path of the annular solar eclipse will start near Gharsana in Rajasthan around 10:12 AM. Depending on where a person in located from the central path, the eclipse, mostly in a partial phase, will be visible between 9:56 AM to 2:29 PM, a press release from Planetary Society, India, said on Friday. The ‘ring of fire’ will be visible to people in Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttarakhand.
The Northern Hemisphere, including India, is all set to witness the longest day of the year on Sunday, June 21. According to weather.com, the sun will be at its highest position in the sky, and the shadows cast will disappear at noon if you are located in Ujjain, Gandhi Nagar and other places located along the Tropic of Cancer in India.
The solstice will be observed around 3:13 AM on June 21 in India. The day will be the longest this year in terms of more daylight hours in the 24 hour cycle. In New Delhi, the sun will rise at 05:23:47 and set at 19:21:59, clocking in a total of 13:58:12.
The word Solstice is derived from the Latin word “Sol” meaning Sun and “Sistere” meaning stationary or stand still.
