Ahmedabad prepares for year's first solar eclipse

Ahmedabad: Various groups in the city are busy making last-minute preparations to welcome the first solar eclipse of the year, after the disappointment of the solar eclipse in July, 2009.

Inaugurating an orientation workshop on annular solar eclipse at Science City, Ravi Saxena, principle secretary, department of science and technology, Gujarat government, said that scientists are now looking for new knowledge about the relationship between the sun, moon, earth and solar system. It would be a great opportunity to popularise science and to create interest in the basic science among the younger generation. He added, "For the school and college students, the solar eclipse offers a unique opportunity to see a natural phenomenon that illustrates the basic principles of mathematics and science that are taught through elementary and secondary school. Indeed, many researchers, including amateur astronomers, have been inspired to study science as a result of seeing a total solar eclipse." About 150 science communicators including BRC and CRC coordinators, science teachers, amateur astronomers and eclipse chaser students from various schools and colleges attended the orientation workshop. In Ahmedabad, the partial eclipse will be visible between 11:25 hours and 15:05 hours with a maximum eclipse at 13:21 hours said a senior scientist at the Science City. "Individual groups from Delhi and Bangalore will also be visiting a place called Varakala, there on," said Manoj Pai of the Astronomy club, Ahmedabad. Elaborative arrangements have been made at Science City to facilitate the safe viewing of the partial solar eclipse on the January 15, 2010. Telescopes fitted with appropriate solar filters, solar image projectors, pin-hole camera, and solar filter goggles, NASA eclipse lenticulars have been arranged to facilitate safe viewing of this celestial event among a large number of students and visitors. The programme will be open for public between 11 am to 3:30 pm.