Solar Eclipse 2021: Amazing Facts About Today's Surya Grahan

Today the Solar Eclipse Or Surya Grahan will happen. Astronomers and enthusiastic skywatchers are eagerly looking forward to the Solar Eclipse. This will be an annular or the 'ring of fire' Solar Eclipse. Eclipses are amazing celestial events that tall a lot about the Sun and astronomers use these opportunities to understand more about the Sun and its corona. Historically Solar Eclipses have been seen as omens but scientists have proved that they are harmless and even helped prove Einstein's theory of relativity.

Solar Eclipse Or Surya Grahan 2021: Interesting facts

• The word eclipse comes from the Greek 'ekleipsis', which means 'being abandoned.'
• According to the timeanddate.com, surviving records have shown that the ancient Chinese and Babylonians were able to predict Solar Eclipses as early as 2500 BCE.
• Every eclipse begins at sunrise at some point in its track and ends at sunset about half way around the world from the start point: NASA
• During a Solar Eclipse, French astronomer Jules Janssen, on August 18, 1868, found the first evidence for the "existence of the second lightest" element known to humans - helium.
• A total solar eclipse is not noticable until the Sun is more than 90 percent covered by the Moon: NASA
• Eclipse shadows travel at 1,100 miles per hour at the equator and up to 5,000 miles per hour near the poles: NASA
• According to the Greek historian Herodotus, in 585 BCE, a Solar Eclipse is said to have stopped a war between the Lydians and the Medes, who saw the dark skies as a sign to make peace.
• Longest total Solar Eclipse of the 21st century, took place in July 21/22, 2009 when the totality lasted for 6 minutes and 39 seconds.