The stars came out in the middle of the day, zoo animals ran in agitated circles, crickets chirped, birds fell silent and a chilly darkness settled upon the land Monday as the USA witnessed its first full solar eclipse since World War I.
But all that people in India witnessed was the glow of their digital screens humming with excitement as the moon overtook the golden orb.
India won’t witness a total solar eclipse till 2034, another 17 years from now. Yet, there are annular solar eclipses coming up in 2019 and the year after.
Total solar eclipses occur every year or two or three years, often in the middle of nowhere like the South Pacific or Antarctic.
In the annular solar eclipse — also called the ‘Ring of Fire’ eclipse — the moon is farther away from the Earth, so it can’t block out all of Sun’s light.
