Pakistan, most of the world to witness solar eclipse on Dec 26

KARACHI: Pakistan will witness an annular solar eclipse on December 26th, citing the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), ARY News reported on Saturday.

The solar eclipse will be visible from Eastern Europe, much of Asia, North & West Australia, Eastern Africa, Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.

An annular solar eclipse happens when the Moon covers the Sun’s center, leaving the Sun’s visible outer edges to form a “ring of fire” or annulus around.

The Penumbral Eclipse begin at 07-30 Pakistan Standard Time (PST) on Dec. 26, partial eclipse will begin at 08-34 PST and total eclipse at at 08-37 PST, the met office said.

According to the PMD, maximum magnitudes of the eclipse at major Pakistani cities will be as follow:

The maximum magnitude of solar eclipse visible in Karachi will be 0.77, at 08:46 PST, Islamabad 0.49 magnitude at 08:58 PST, Quetta 0.64 magnitude at 08:48 PST, Peshawar 0.50 magnitude at 08:56 PST, Lahore 0.52 magnitude at 08:58 PST, Gilgit 0.43 magnitude at 09:01 PST and Muzaffarabad 0.47 magnitude at 08:59 PST.

During a partial solar eclipse, the moon, the sun and Earth don’t align in a perfectly straight line, and the moon casts only the outer part of its shadow, the penumbra, on Earth. It turns dark during a total solar eclipse and temperatures dip since the sun is completely blocked.

Researchers said the eclipse is important because it enable astronomers to study the outer realm of the Sun, known as the corona. Understanding more about how the Sun works, and how solar flares emerge, can help protect astronauts in space as well as electrical grids on Earth.