Few months before, I mentioned about the Solar Eclipse and Lunar Eclipse.

A Partial Lunar Eclipse or Surya Grahan will again occur in India on January 15th, 2010 and will be visible during 11:25 AM to 3:15 PM (Indian Standard Time).

Solar Eclipse will be visible in :

• Africa
• Bahrain
• China
• Dubai
• Europe
• India
• Indonesia
• Malaysia
• Nepal
• Oman
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• Singapore
• Sri Lanka

Solar Eclipse will not be visible in USA and Canada.

Surya Grahan will be visible in India from 11:25:32 AM to 03:15:13 PM hrs (Indian Standard Time) on January 15th, 2010. The grahan will pass between southern tip of India and northern Sri Lanka. It means that the Solar Eclipse can be clearly visible in South India.

Surya Grahanam will be clearly visible in Southern Indian – Madurai, Kumbakonam, Kannyakumari, Nagercoil, Palayamkottai, Tirunellveli, Thanjavur, Trivandrum, Tuticorin (Toothukudi), Chennai and other parts of South India.

In Kanyakumari, the Solar Eclipse will be visible between 11:06:11 to 15:05:48 hrs (IST).

The Solor Eclipse on January 15th, 2010 is called Annular Eclipse.

Following is the NASA images which shows all the places around the world where Solar Eclipse will be visible:

Map courtesy NASA

Map courtesy NASA

The Surya Grahanam will be taking place on Thai Amavasi day when the Nakshatra is Uttarashadha or Uttiradham and the Rashi is Makara Raasi.

Hindu Rituals during Solar Eclipse / Surya Grahan

• Do not perform any work during Surya Grahanam
• Temples are closed during Surya Grahan
• Take bath in Ganga or Brahma Sarovar rivers on Solar Eclipse
• Chant Mahamritunjaya Mantra of Lord Shiva and Ashtakshara Mantra of Lord Shri Krishna.

As per traditional Hindu Astrology, the Solar Eclipse time on January 15 is as follows:

• Partial Solar Eclipse begins – Sparsh kaal is 11:17 AM IST
• Middle period – Madhya kaal is 1:18 PM IST
• The eclipse ends – Moksh kaal is 3:04 PM IST
• Parv or Punya Kaal is 3:47 PM IST

Few months before, I mentioned about the Solar Eclipse and Lunar Eclipse.

A Partial Lunar Eclipse or Chandra Grahan will again occur in India between December 31st, 2009 and January 1st, 2010.

Lunar Eclipse will start during late hours of December 31, 2009 and will last till the early hours of January 1, 2010.

The Partial Lunar Eclipse starts at 17:17:07 GMT to 21:28:15 GMT.

Chandra Grahan or Partial Lunar Eclipse in IST (Indian Standard Time) is from 22:47 hrs on December 31st, 2009 to 02:58 hrs on January 1, 2010.

Following is the NASA image which shows the path of the Partial Lunar Eclipse on December 31, 2009 – January 1, 2010 around the world:

Partial Lunar Eclipse / Chandra Grahan will is visible in India, Nepal, Dubai, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Singapore, Bangladesh, Burma, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and other places in Asia (eastern hemisphere).

Hindu Rituals during Lunar Eclipse

Usually during a lunar eclipse, a fast (Upvaas) is observed by certain communities in Hindu religion. The fast begins about 9 hours before the beginning of the lunar eclipse.

As per traditional Hindu lunar calendar, December 31st is Paush Poornima and the famous Magh Mela begins at Allahabad (Sangam in Prayag).

People also take a bath in cold water and chant mantras dedicated to Lord Vishnu or Shiva like the Ashtakshara Mantra or Mrityunjaya Mantra. This is done whenever there is a Solar or Lunar eclipse. Pregnant women chant the Santana Gopala Mantra.

Two weeks back, there was Total Solar Eclipse – Surya Grahan.

Now, Lunar Eclipse / Chandra Grahan will take place on August 5, 2009 or August 2009 based on the location in the world.

Chandra Grahan will take place at moon set in both India and Nepal.

According to NASA, the Lunar Eclipse will not visible to the naked eye.

Hindu Panchangs and calendars are referring it as Madhya Chhaya Chandragrahan. There are no specific timing given. Also no advices to follow any rituals (There is no need to follow any Niyamas). The Chandra Grahan will take place in South America, Africa, West Asia and Europe. It will take place at moon rise in parts of United States, Canada and Caribbean Islands. Chandra Grahan, a shallow penumbral lunar eclipse, will take place on August 6, 2009. In United States and South America, it will be visible on the evening of August 5, 2009.

Lunar Eclipse August 2009 – Image Courtesy: NASA

In India, the lunar eclipse on August 6, 2009 will take place at moon set from 04:34 hrs IST to 07:44 hrs IST (As per Indian Standard Time) (early morning). The Chandra Grahan will not be visible in India.

Madhya Chhaya Chandragrahan / Partial Lunar Eclipse August 2009 in United States Timings

Note: Timings mentioned below will be in Local Timings

In United States, the timing is from 18:04 to 21:14 hrs on August 5, 2009.

Atlanta Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 18:04
• Eclipse Ends at 21:14

Boston Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 18:04
• Eclipse Ends at 21:14

Chicago Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 17:04
• Eclipse Ends at 20:14

Dallas Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 17:04
• Eclipse Ends at 20:14

Houston Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 17:04
• Eclipse Ends at 20:14

New Jersey Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 18:04
• Eclipse Ends at 21:14

Los Angeles Lunar Eclipse

• No Eclipse

New York Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 18:04
• Eclipse Ends at 21:14

Philadelphia Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 18:04
• Eclipse Ends at 21:14

San Francisco Lunar Eclipse

• No Eclipse

Seattle Lunar Eclipse

• No Eclipse

Madhya Chhaya Chandragrahan / Partial Lunar Eclipse August 2009 in Europe and United Kingdom Timings

Note: Timings mentioned below will be in Europe and Britain Timings

In Europe, the timing is from 23:04 hrs on August 5, 2009 to 03:14 on August 6.

United Kingdom Lunar Eclipse

London Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 23:04 on August 5, 2009
• Eclipse Ends at 02:14 on August 6, 2009

NASA has given the same time for all places in England.

France Lunar Eclipse

Paris Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 00:04 on August 6, 2009
• Eclipse Ends at 03:14 on August 6, 2009

Germany Lunar Eclipse

Frankfurt Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 00:04 on August 6, 2009
• Eclipse Ends at 03:14 on August 6, 2009

Italy Lunar Eclipse

Rome Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 00:04 on August 6, 2009
• Eclipse Ends at 03:14 on August 6, 2009

Switzerland Lunar Eclipse

Geneva Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 00:04 on August 6, 2009
• Eclipse Ends at 03:14 on August 6, 2009

Lunar Eclipse August 2009 in Middle East and Dubai Timings

Note: Timings mentioned below will be in Local Timings

There is a shallow penumbral lunar eclipse, Chandra Grahan, on August 06, 2009. The Eclipse will be take place in Middle East, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Oman and Abu Dhabi. But it is not visible to the naked eye. The grahan time is from 02:04 to 05:14 in Gulf countries. Here are the timings in Middle East and Dubai. All local time.

United Arab Emirates Lunar Eclipse

Dubai Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 03:04 AM on August 6, 2009
• Eclipse Ends at 06:14 AM on August 6, 2009

Abu Dhabi Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 03:04 AM
• Eclipse Ends at 06:14 AM

Bahrain Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 02:04 AM
• Eclipse Ends at 05:14 AM

Kuwait Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 02:04 AM
• Eclipse Ends at 05:14 AM

Qatar Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 02:04 AM
• Eclipse Ends at 05:14 AM

Saudi Arabia Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 02:04 AM
• Eclipse Ends at 05:14 AM

Oman Lunar Eclipse

• Eclipse Begins at 03:04 AM
• Eclipse Ends at 06:14 AM

As per Indian Standard Time, Total Solar Eclipse will be visible between 5:28 AM to 7:40 AM IST (Indian Standard Time) in India on July 22, 2009.

Solar Eclipse in Animation

The total solar eclipse will last nearly four minutes — from 6.26 am to 6.30 am IST — in India and during this time Sun will not be visible at all. In India, Total Lunar Eclipse will be visible in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Varanasi, West Bengal and Northeastern States. According to NASA, the Solar Eclipse on July 22, 2009 is a “Total Solar Eclipse” and the Moon’s umbral shadow on Sun begins in India and crosses through Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, China and ends in the Pacific Ocean.

It is the longest total solar eclipse in the 21st century and will not surpass in duration until next 123 years.

The total solar eclipse in India will be visible in regions around Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Surat (Gujarat), Darjeeling (West Bengal), Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) and Patna (Bihar).

The other places in India where the Eclipse is visible are Khandwa, Maihar, Mirzapur, Muzaffarpur, Panchmarhi, Purnia, Rewa, Sagar, Siliguri, Silvassa ,Vidisha, Bankipore, Bharuch, Chhapra, Chhatarpur, Cooch Bihar, Daltoganj, Daman, Darbhanga, Dibrugarh, Gangtok, Itanagar, Itarsi, Jabalpur, Katihar.

Majority of the regions in India will not have a view of the Total solar eclipse. As per NASA data, it will be a partial eclipse in Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai.

The path of the Surya Grahan Through India (Image from NASA)

• The dark blue double line with circles indicates the path of Total Solar Eclipse which includes central India, Bhutan and parts of China.
• The grid area is of partial eclipse. (image from NASA)

The rare solar eclipse which will take place on Wed, July 22, 09 will be a total eclipse of the Sun with a magnitude of 1.080 that will be visible in northern India, Nepal, northern Bangladesh, Bhutan, the northern Myanmar, central China and the Pacific Ocean, the Ryukyu Islands, Marshall Islands and Kiribati.

Do’s and Don’t during the Solar eclipse

• It is recommended to avoid or postpone to perform any important tasks or deal during the eclipse day
• Fasting is recommended , Many people in India observe fast on the day of eclipse
• Avoid eatables from outside
• Avoid cooking during the eclipse timing
• its recommended to Keep the food and eatables closed during the time of eclipse.
• Hindus perform ritual bath after the eclipse is over

Below are the list of important places in India where the Eclipse is Visible in its totality.

Bhopal

• Eclipse begins before Sunrise
• Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:22:11 AM
• Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:23:47 AM
• Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:25:23 AM
• Eclipse ends at 07:22:51 AM

Darjeeling

• Eclipse begins at 05:30:35 AM
• Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:27:01 AM
• Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:28:30 AM
• Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:29:58 AM
• Eclipse ends at 07:33:07 AM

Gaya

• Eclipse begins at 05:29:34 AM
• Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:24:26 AM
• Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:26:04 AM
• Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:27:41 AM
• Eclipse ends at 07:29:00 AM

Patna

• Eclipse begins at 05:29:57 AM
• Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:24:37 AM
• Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:26:31 AM
• Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:28:24 AM
• Eclipse ends at 07:29:29 AM

Siliguri

• Eclipse begins at 05:30:26 AM
• Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:26:33 AM
• Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:28:26 AM
• Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:30:23 AM
• Eclipse ends at 07:40:45 AM

Sikkim

• Eclipse begins at 05:30:40 AM
• Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:27:15 AM
• Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:28:30 AM
• Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:29:58 AM
• Eclipse ends at 07:34:10 AM

Surat

• Eclipse begins before sunrise
• Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:21:16 AM
• Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:22:54 AM
• Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:24:33 AM
• Eclipse ends at 07:19:53 AM

Ujjain

• Eclipse begins before sunrise
• Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:22:51 AM
• Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:23:40 AM
• Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:24:30 AM
• Eclipse ends at 07:21:56 AM

Vadodara

• Eclipse begins before sunrise
• Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:22:41 AM
• Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:23:20 AM
• Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:23:59 AM
• Eclipse ends at 07:20:27 AM

Varanasi

• Eclipse begins at 05:30:03 AM
• Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:24:10 AM
• Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:25:44 AM
• Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:27:17 AM
• Eclipse ends at 07:27:34 AM

Here are few interesting facts of human body:

- Hiccups happen when the diaphragm, the muscle that controls our breathing, becomes irritated and start to spasm and contract uncontrollably. With each contraction, air is pulled into the lungs very quickly, passes through the voice box, and then the epiglottis closes behind the rush of air, shaking the vocal chords, causing the “hic” sound. The irritation can be caused by rapid eating, emotional stress and even some diseases. The best cure? Breathing into a paper bag. This calms the diaphragm by increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in your bloodstream.

- The length from your wrist to your elbow is the same as the length of your foot.

- Your heart beats 101,000 times a day. During your lifetime it will beat about 3 billion times and pump about 400 million litres (800 million pints) of blood.

- Your mouth produces 1 litre (1.8 pints) of saliva a day.

- On average, people can hold their breath for one minute. The world record is seven-and-a-half minutes.

- The human head contains 22 bones. More on the head and brains

- On average, you breathe 23,000 times a day.

- On average, you speak almost 5,000 words a day – although almost 80% of speaking is self-talk (talking to yourself).

- Einstein’s brain was of average size (1375 grams – 49oz).

- Over the last 150 years the average height of people in industrialised nations increased by 10 cm (4 in).

- In the 19th century, American men were the tallest in the world, averaging 1,71m (5′6″). Today, the average height for American men is 1,75m (5′7″), compared to 1,77m (5′8″) for Swedes, and 1,78m (5′8.5″) for the Dutch.

- The tallest nation in the world is the Watusis of Burundi.

- If the amount of water in your body is reduced by just 1%, you’ll feel thirsty.

- Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, suggested that a woman could enlarge her bust line by singing loudly and often.

- A person can live without food for about a month, but only about a week without water.

- You’ll drink about 75,000 litres (20,000 gallons) of water in your lifetime.

- After a certain period of growth, hair becomes dormant. That means that it is attached to the hair follicle until replaced by new hair.

- Hair on the head grows for between two and six years before being replaced. In the case of baldness, the dormant hair was not replaced with new hair.

- Men loose about 40 hairs a day. Women loose about 70 hairs a day.

- In the Middle Ages the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow was called an ell.

- A person remains conscious for eight seconds after being decapitated.

- The first human sex change took place in 1950 when Danish doctor Christian Hamburger operated on New Yorker George Jargensen, who became Christine Jargensen.

- The muscle that lets your eye blink is the fastest muscle in your body. It allows you to blink 5 times a second. On average, you blink 15 000 times a day. Women blink twice as much as men.

- A typical athlete’s heart churns out 25 to 30 litres (up to 8 gallons) of blood per minute.

- We have four basic tastes. The salt and sweet taste buds are at the tip of the tongue, bitter at the base, and sour along the sides.

- Unless food is mixed with saliva you cannot taste it.

- The liver is the largest of the body’s internal organs. The skin is the body’s largest organ.

- Not all our taste buds are on our tongue; about 10% are on the palette and the cheeks.

- On average a hiccup lasts 5 minutes.

- Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails.

- It takes about 3 months for the transplanted hair to start growing again.

- About 13% of people are left-handed. Up from 11% in the past.

- In 1900, a person could expect to live to be 47. Today, the average life expectancy for men and women in developed countries is longer than 70 years.

- A newborn baby’s head accounts for one-quarter of its weight.

- King Henry I, who ruled in the England in the 12th century, standardised the yard as the distance from the thumb of his outstretched arm to his nose.

- The bones in your body are not white – they range in colour from beige to light brown. The bones you see in museums are white because they have been boiled and cleaned.

- Our eyes are always the same size from birth.

- Every person has a unique tongue print.

- If all your DNA is stretched out, it would reach to the moon 6,000 times.

- Approximately two-thirds of a person’s body weight is water. Blood is 92% water. The brain is 75% water and muscles are 75% water.

- The coloured part of the eye is called the iris. Behind the iris is the soft, rubbery lens which focuses the light on to a layer, called the retina, in the back of the eye. The retina contains about 125 million rods and 7 million cones. The rods pick up shades of grey and help us see in dim light. The cones work best in bright light to pick up colours.

- We actually do not see with our eyes – we see with our brains. The eyes basically are the cameras of the brain. One-quarter of the brain is used to control the eyes