The eclipse will start at 4:50 AM EDT and will be seen over a very large extent, namely Europe, Africa, North and South America, and the Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean.
As 2025 begins, sky enthusiasts across the globe are gearing up for a thrilling year of cosmic marvels. Among the numerous notable astronomical events, two solar eclipses will occur. But for Indian enthusiasts, the first solar eclipse of the year on March 29 will be invisible, presenting a rare chance for Indian sky enthusiasts to miss the cosmic spectacle.
The First Solar Eclipse of 2025: A Partial Solar Eclipse
The first solar eclipse of 2025 will take place on March 29, and it will be a partial solar eclipse. In a total solar eclipse where the Sun is covered up by the Moon, in a partial eclipse only a portion of the Sun will be covered by the Moon. This partial eclipse will be observed in parts of the Northern Hemisphere, but regretfully, India will not be able to observe this event.
The eclipse will start at 4:50 AM EDT and will be seen over a very large extent, namely Europe, Africa, North and South America, and the Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean. In England, for instance, the eclipse will begin at 8:43 AM EDT. The eclipse will take several hours and will finish by 12:43 PM EDT.
For Indian sky enthusiasts, the implication is that they will lose out on the spectacle. This is because the eclipse will take place in such a manner that the central shadow of the moon will not affect Earth, or in other words, there will be no totality visible in the Indian subcontinent.
In India, solar eclipses (or Surya Grahan) are not only an interesting natural phenomenon but also culturally and astrologically significant. The Chaitra Amavasya, the beginning of the Hindu New Year and Chaitra Navratri, will fall on the same date as the partial solar eclipse on March 29, 2025. This gives the eclipse additional significance to many Indians.
Even though the eclipse won’t be seen in India, it will remain an important day for astrologers and those who go by traditional rituals of eclipses. It is the norm for individuals to go about following certain traditions while a solar eclipse takes place, such as fasting, taking a dip in sacred rivers, or refraining from engaging in certain activities.
The Sutra Period: What Does It Mean?
Eclipses are generally said to have a duration of time called the Sutra period in most parts of the globe. This duration is generally seen 12 hours prior to the eclipse, and all religious and cultural activities are kept away during this time. But as the eclipse of March 29 will not be seen in India, the Sutra period will also not be effective here, and individuals will probably continue with their routine life.
Other Prominent Eclipses in 2025
Though India will be missing the first solar eclipse, there are quite a number of other celestial events to enjoy. The total lunar eclipse on March 14, or Chandra Grahan, will be visible, but in an unfortunate turn of events, it will happen during the day in India, and thus it will be obscured from local viewers.
During the second half of the year, Indian sky observers will have a greater opportunity to see an eclipse. There will be a full lunar eclipse on September 7-8, 2025, and this can be seen in Indian regions. The eclipse will color the moon a deep red hue, a beautiful spectacle referred to as the “blood moon.”
Also, on September 21-22, 2025, another partial solar eclipse is going to happen, but like the March eclipse, it also won’t be visible in India.
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