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During the Diwali festival on October 25, there will be a partial solar eclipse which will be visible from the city as well as from most parts of the country, astrophysicist Debi Prasad Duari said. The eastern metropolis, however, will be able to witness the partial solar eclipse, the second in 2022, for a very small duration, the celestial phenomenon will be better observed in the northern and western regions of the country, he said.

The eclipse will not be observed from northeastern India as the celestial phenomenon will be occurring after sunset in those regions, Duari said.

Apart from India, the October 25 partial cosmic affair will be visible from most parts of Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, Duari elaborated.

“The partial solar eclipse will begin in Iceland at around 2:29 pm IST and will be seen at its maximum from Russia at 4:30 hours IST. It will end at around 6:32pm IST over the Arabian Sea,” he told PTI while sharing information on the celestial event.

“The eastern part of the country will see the partial eclipse only marginally, that also during the sunset. The northern and western part of the country is a better location to observe the partial eclipse with a better view and for a longer period of time.

“During the new moon (Amavasya) the Sun, Moon, and Earth almost come in a linear configuration, whereby from the Earth we can see the Moon without any sunlight falling on it. But at times, as on October 25, the Sun, Moon, and Earth will almost be on the same plane resulting in the moon appearing to cover the Sun partially for a period of time causing a partial solar eclipse,” he explained.

In and around the metropolis, the partial eclipse will begin at around 4:52pm, the maximum occurring at 5:01pm, and will cease to be seen at 5:03pm at the sunset, Duari said.

“Even at the maximum eclipse, only 4 percent of the lighted disc of the setting Sun will be covered by the Moon,” he said.

In the north Bengal town of Siliguri, the celestial phenomenon will be occurring between 4:41pm and 4:59pm and during the maximum eclipse (at around 4:56pm) about 8.91 percent of the Sun will be covered by the Moon’s disc, Duari stated.

“In New Delhi, it will commence at around 4:29pm and end with the sunset at 6:09pm with the maximum eclipse to occur at 5:42pm when the Sun will be obscured by the Moon by an amount of only 24.5 percent,” Duari said.

Jaisalmer in Rajasthan will experience the eclipse from 4:26pm to 6:09pm with the maximum at around 5:30pm. when the disc of the Sun will be obscured by 42.5 percent.

“In Mumbai, the eclipse will begin at 4:49pm with the maximum occurring at around 5:42pm. It will end at 6:09pm, when the Sun appears to go down the Arabian Sea at sunset. Here, the Sun’s disc will be covered by about 24.5 percent,” he added.

In southern and central India, the eclipse will be again observed just before sunset with Nagpur experiencing the eclipse from 4:49pm to 5:42pm. In Bengaluru, the eclipse will begin at 5:12pm, reaching its maximum at 5:49pm and ending at 5:55pm during the sunset. Chennai will have the eclipse during 5:14pm to 5:44pm, the astrophysicist said.

The next major solar eclipse to be visible from India will be an annular eclipse on May 21, 2031 when the annularity can be observed from a narrow patch of land in south India, he said.

Three years later, on March 20, 2034, the next total solar eclipse will be visible from India and the totality will be observed from the northernmost part of Kashmir.

On both occasions, the whole country will observe a partial eclipse of varying magnitude depending upon its geographical location, Duari said.

Another partial eclipse can be seen from the northern part of India on June 1, 2030.

Referring to the harm caused to the eyes by Sun’s rays during an eclipse, Duari cautioned the sky enthusiasts to take “extreme precaution” while observing it.

“Even if the degree of the partial eclipse is not appreciable in most of the country, extreme precaution has to be taken by everybody who wants to observe this cosmic event. The Sun’s rays can be very harmful for the eye and can become critical,” he said.


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Voyager 2’s Flyby Sheds Light on Uranus’s Magnetic Mystery

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Voyager 2's Flyby Sheds Light on Uranus's Magnetic Mystery

A recent analysis of 38-year-old data from NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft has provided fresh insights into the unique magnetosphere of Uranus, according to a study published on November 11 in Nature Astronomy. During Voyager 2’s 1986 flyby, Uranus’ magnetosphere was found to be unexpectedly distorted by a blast of solar wind. The findings suggest that the planet’s magnetic field behaves unlike any other in the solar system.

Findings Highlight Unusual Magnetic Structures

Jamie Jasinski, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and California Institute of Technology, and lead author of the study, noted that Voyager 2’s timing happened to coincide with an intense solar wind event, a rare occurrence near Uranus. This compression of Uranus’s magnetosphere, seen only around 4% of the time, is thought to be responsible for the unique measurements Voyager captured. Had the spacecraft arrived even a week earlier, Jasinski observed, these conditions would likely have been different, possibly leading to alternative conclusions about Uranus’s magnetic characteristics.

Unlike Earth, Uranus exhibits a complex “open-closed” magnetic process, influenced by its extreme axial tilt. This tilt subjects Uranus to highly variable solar wind effects, resulting in a magnetosphere that opens and closes cyclically.

Implications for Future Uranus Exploration

The study’s conclusions go beyond Uranus itself, offering insights into the magnetic behaviours of its outermost moons, including Titania and Oberon. These moons, it turns out, lie within Uranus’s magnetosphere rather than outside it, making them candidates for investigations into subsurface oceans through magnetic field detection. As Jasinski highlighted, these conditions would simplify detecting any magnetic signatures that suggest liquid beneath the moons’ icy surfaces.

While Voyager 2 remains the only mission to visit Uranus, the study’s findings underscore a growing interest in exploring the ice giant in greater detail.

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Tajikistan rock shelter reveals ancient human migration routes

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Tajikistan rock shelter reveals ancient human migration routes

Archaeologists have uncovered a rock shelter in Tajikistan’s Zeravshan Valley that was occupied by multiple human species, including Neanderthals, Denisovans, and Homo sapiens, for over 130,000 years. Discovered along the Zeravshan River in the Inner Asian Mountain Corridor (IAMC), this site, known as Soii Havzak, provides new insight into the migration patterns of ancient humans. Researchers believe the IAMC may have facilitated interactions between these groups, offering clues about how they lived and possibly coexisted in Central Asia.

Discovery Along the Zeravshan River

A team led by Dr Yossi Zaidner, senior lecturer at the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, recently excavated the site. Evidence of various human occupations was found, including stone tools and animal bones dating from 150,000 to 20,000 years ago. Zaidner noted that Central Asia’s IAMC could have served as a natural migration route, allowing distinct human populations to cross paths. “This discovery is crucial for understanding ancient human presence in Central Asia and how different human species may have interacted here,” he stated in a press release.

Significance for Human Migration and Interaction

Artifacts from Soii Havzak, including stone blades, rock flakes, crafted flints, and signs of fire use, suggest repeated use of the shelter by different human groups. The find highlights Central Asia’s significance in ancient migration routes, with the Zeravshan River likely serving as a pathway for early humans as they dispersed across continents.

A Pathway for Ancient Civilisations

Beyond its prehistoric importance, the Zeravshan Valley later became a key route on the Silk Road, linking distant civilisations such as China and Rome. Researchers expect further studies at Soii Havzak to shed light on the broader implications of this region in ancient human migration and cross-cultural interactions, aiming to deepen understanding of human history and evolution during the Middle Paleolithic era.

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NASA’s Juno shows Jupiter’s storms and moon Amalthea up close

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NASA’s Juno shows Jupiter’s storms and moon Amalthea up close

NASA’s Juno spacecraft has delivered breathtaking images of Jupiter, highlighting the planet’s swirling, multicoloured storms and unique moons. During Juno’s 66th close flyby on October 23, the spacecraft approached the planet’s polar regions and captured close-up views of its fifth-largest moon, Amalthea. The raw images collected by JunoCam have since been processed by citizen scientists, who enhanced colours and contrasts to reveal Jupiter’s atmospheric details in a new light.

Spectacular Details of Jupiter’s Storms Revealed

Citizen scientist Jackie Branc processed one of Juno’s most striking images, showcasing a region on Jupiter called a Folded Filamentary Region (FFR), located near the planet’s subpolar areas. FFRs are known for their complex cloud patterns, which include white billows and fine, thread-like filaments. This recent image captures Jupiter’s stormy atmosphere with an emphasis on these fine details, giving scientists and the public alike a vivid view of the planet’s dynamic weather systems.

Juno’s data, available to the public online, allows enthusiasts and researchers to adjust image features such as contrast and colour balance. This collaborative effort has enabled a range of perspectives on Jupiter’s atmospheric bands, turbulent clouds, and powerful vortices.

Amalthea: A Close-Up of Jupiter’s Unique Moon

Juno also captured images of Amalthea, a small, potato-shaped moon only 84 kilometres in radius. In images processed by Gerald Eichstädt, the white balance was adjusted to distinguish Amalthea from the blackness of space, presenting the moon in stark relief. This view of Amalthea, with its rugged, irregular shape, adds to our understanding of Jupiter’s complex satellite system.

Launched in 2016, the Juno mission was originally planned to conclude in 2021, but its mission has been extended, with plans to end in September 2025. When its mission concludes, Juno will plunge into Jupiter’s atmosphere, marking the end of its successful exploration journey.

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