Kosmandu Astronomical Society | Solar Eclipse 2009 |

Greatest Eclipse ( Time of greatest Eclipse, the instant when the axis of the Moon's shadow passes closest to Earth's center): 02:35 UT [08:20am July 22 Nepal Standard Time]

Time when the maximum part of the sun is obscured by the Moon as seen from Nepal: 6:42 am [First Contact: 5:44am Last Contact: 7:47am]

Greatest Eclipse Latitude: 34.1S Longitude: 70.3E

Saros series of eclipse (Each eclipse in a Saros is separated by an interval of 18 years 11.3 days): 131

Eclipse Magnitude ( the fraction of the Sun's diameter obscured by the Moon.): 0.928

Sun altitude at greatest eclipse : 73

Path Width (Width of the path of totality or annularity at greatest eclipse): 280 kilometers

Central duration at greatest eclipse: 07m54s

PLEASE WAIT FOR MORE UPDATES ON THE ECLIPSE INFORMATION

BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT 2009 ECLIPSE IS SPECIAL BECAUSE NEPAL HAS NOT SEEN AN ECLIPSE THAT DARKENS THE DAY FOR YEARS NOW...

The Cosmic Group Message updates

NASA ECLIPSE HOMEPAGE:

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/solar.html

THE SKY DARKENS,

AND A RING WILL INSTEAD TAKE PLACE OF THE SUN

THE PEOPLE PANIC DOWN ON THE GROUND

IGNORANT OF THE FACT THAT

ITS NO DRAGON THAT EATS UP THE SUN

ITS THE MOON THAT OBSCURES THE SUN

Most of the Nepalese people are still unknown of the modern astronomical facts. They still believe its some supernatural cause of the Solar Eclipse, and think some demon (dragon in China; there must be relationship between them) is eating up the Sun. As it will be a dark morning on 22nd July of 09, most of the people will be performing religious rituals that day, and also hiding from the rays of the sun. But its no big deal standing outside looking at the sun with a solar filter. Most of the astronomers worldwide do it. Instead of trying to learn something, the people here fear that the demon might pass upon them, they hide themselves inside their homes. So we think we need a serious campaign and support for the campaign to aware the people the need of knowledge on Astronomy, that its something worth learning.

Credit

Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA's GSFC

Used Cartes Du Ciel software by Patrick Chevalley

Please feel free to copy the materials in this page accompanied with acknowledgements. [Only for non commercial use].