8 April 2024 08:35 am
The total solar eclipses that is expected to take place today will not be visible in Sri Lanka, Director of the Astronomy and Space Science Unit, Department of Physics, Colombo University, and the Chairman of the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies, Professor Chandana Jayaratne said.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon blocks the Sun’s disk as seen from part of Earth’s surface. In this case, the “path of totality” will be a 185 km wide dark shadow strip cutting across the USA, from Texas to Marine. As such, this solar eclipse is not visible to Sri Lanka, but visible in countries of the West in Europe, North and South America, the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Arctic.
The solar eclipse is due to begin at 9.12 p.m. Sri Lanka Standard Time and end at 2.22 a.m. tomorrow. The next eclipse that Sri Lankans can witness is a lunar eclipse due on 7th September 2025 said Prof. Jayaratne.
Number of countries including USA consider today’s solar eclipse to be a major event and had closed all schools while restricting aircraft movement has been restricted.