Pakistan will witness an annular solar ec
lipse on December 26th, citing the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The solar ec
lipse will be visible from Eastern Europe, much of Asia, North & West Australia, Eastern Africa, Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. An annular solar ec
lipse 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 Ec
lipse begin at 07-30 Pakistan Standard Time (PST) on Dec. 26, partial ec
lipse will begin at 08-34
PST and total ec
lipse at at 08-37 PST, the met office said. According to the PMD, maximum magnitudes of the ec
lipse at major Pakistani cities will be as follow: The maximum magnitude of solar ec
lipse 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, Pesha
war 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 ec
lipse and temperatures dip since
the sun is completely blocked. Researchers said the ec
lipse is important because it enable astronomers to study the outer realm of the Sun, known as the corona. Understanding mor
e about how the Sun works, and how solar flares emerge, can help protect astronauts in space as well as electrical grids on Earth.
