The entire world is witnessing a rare kind of solar eclipse this June 21 which is also coinciding with the summer solstice, or the first day of summer. The Earth will be positioned in its orbit and the North Pole is at its maximum tilt towards the Sun today.

It will also be the longest day of the year, when people around the world will witness a celestial event known as the ‘Ring of Fire’ solar eclipse or an annular solar eclipse.

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon’s diameter is smaller than the Sun’s, leading to blocking of most of the Sun’s light and causing the Sun to look like an annulus (ring).

The central path of this annular eclipse will pass through parts of African continent including Central African Republic, Congo, and Ethiopia; south of Pakistan and northern India; and China. For Oman and India it will be the second annular eclipse 6 months after the December 2019 eclipse.

The ‘Ring of Fire’ will be visible to people living in Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttarakhand.
This day also coincides with annular solar eclipse, International Day of Yoga, Father’s Day and World Music Day this year.

The Nehru Planetarium in New Delhi and the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, have also arranged a virtual live telecast of the event today.

Take a look at the shadow of a bush or a tree. With the gaps between the leaves acting like a pinhole, numerous images of the eclipsed Sun can be seen on the ground.

The next solar eclipse will be visible in India on October 25, 2022. It would be visible in the western part of India.