Century's longest solar eclipse

It was a celestial spectacle: the longest solar eclipse of this century. In Southern India, the sun kept shrinking till it was reduced to a golden halo around the moon. Watch: How the Sun became a golden ring The ring of fire dazzled for 11 minutes. (NDTV Photo)

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So what happens during an eclipse? In a rare confluence of galactic events, the Sun, the Moon and the Earth align; when the move moves between the Sun and the Earth, a shadow seems to move over the sun, plunging the earth into darkness. When the moon is directly over the sun, some sunlight can still be seen from behind, so the sun looks like a perfect golden ring or annulis outlining the moon – hence the term, ‘annular solar eclipse.' (NDTV Photo)

The eclipse began at 11.25 am at the southern-most tip of India at Dhanushkodi and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. (NDTV Photo)

It ended at 3.15 pm. At 1.15 pm, it appeared as a burning ring of fire in WHAT CITY, WHAT STATE. The rest of India saw a partial eclipse. (NDTV Photo)

"The path of annularity in India passed over the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, while the partial phase was witnessed in the rest of the country...The next annular eclipse will occur on December 26, 2019, however, that will not be visible in India," Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Centre Executive Director Iyamperumal told PTI. (NDTV Photo)

Children, pilgrims, scientists were all fascinated. At the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar, thousands took a dip in the Ganga. A special cruise boat chased the eclipse from India to the Maldives. (NDTV Photo)

In Bangalore, scientists at the Indian Space Research Organization launched a barrage of small rockets to study the chemistry of the atmosphere.

This natural phenomenon happens every 18 months and would be mostly visible on the southern tip of India.

The best places to view the eclipse are Thiruvanatapuram, Kanya Kumari, Rameshwaram, Madurai and parts of southern Mizoram.(NDTV Photo)

During a Solar Eclipse, there occurs a rare confluence of galactic events where the Sun, the Moon and the Earth align. The eclipse seen here from different locations in Indian skies. (NDTV Photo)

When the moon moves in between the sun and the earth, a shadow seems to move over the sun plunging the earth into darkness for a short while. (NDTV Photo)

Projectors, telescopes and special solar view goggles were made available to the people who gathered to have a glimpse of the cosmic event. (NDTV Photo)