The millennium's longest celestial spectacle unfolded today in a narrow strip in peninsular India with enthusiasts flocking sites to observe the annular solar eclipse.
The scientific phenomenon began at 11.17am at Dhanushkodi.
People at Dhanushkodi, about 18km from here, touted as the best location to watch the longest eclipse in a century, were excited as the moon began to cover the sun.
It is from places like Dhanushkodi, Kanyakumari, Varkala that people would be able to see the ring of fire as the moon tries to block the Solar disc leaving the edges flaring.
"The moon has started covering the sun and by 1.30pm people will be able to see the 'ring of fire'," SPACE director CB Devgun told PTI.
In Kanyakumari, the eclipse was watched by a team of six scientists from Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA).
"The eclipse is half-way. The annularity will be at about 1.06pm which will be for 10.8 minutes," RC Kapoor, a scientist at IIA, told PTI. In Delhi, the eclipse began at 11.53am.
Several skywatchers watched the celestial spectacle from Nehru Planetarium in New Delhi where special arrangements were made.
Projectors, telescopes and special solar view goggles were made available to the people who gathered to have a glimpse of the cosmic event.
Many people who had gathered at the planetarium were brimming with excitement as they watched the celestial show.
Mamata, who came to the planetarium to watch the event, said "It is the first time I am seeing such an event".
"The view of the eclipse was enthralling," Shreyansh Gupta, a student, said.
Nisha, 58, too was very upbeat about the whole cosmic event. "In 1980 I first saw the solar eclipse. However, things are different now".
An amateur astronomer Mushir, 14, described the whole event as great. "It is probably the first and last time I am seeing the eclipse. It feels great," he said.
Sachin Bahmba, founder of NGO Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE), said, "We are encouraging people to eat food and drink water to bust all myths about the eclipse".
