Surya Grahan today: How and where to watch first partial solar eclipse of 2022

The first solar eclipse of 2022 is set to occur today (April 30) and will last up to four hours beginning from 12:15 pm.  As per the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the solar eclipse will result in a rare phenomenon which in astronomical terms is called the "black moon." The celestial event will be visible from South America, the Pacific, Atlantic Ocean, and the Antarctic Ocean, as per TimeandDate.com.

The beautiful rare event of the black moon will occur as the sun will be at least 64% covered. It is called a black moon for two different reasons, one being it is the second moon in a single calendar month and the third new moon in a season of four moons.  

Surya Grahan: Solar Eclipse 2022 India timings

However, to skywatchers' disappointment, the partial Surya Grahan will not be visible from India and the US as well. Those interested can tune in to YouTube channels dedicated to such solar events and enjoy the prismatic view of the Solar Eclipse.

The partial eclipse will be visible in the Southern Hemisphere, from parts of South America, Antarctica, and the Pacific and Southern Oceans just before and during sunset (local time), as per NASA.

For the unversed, a solar eclipse occurs when the moon, the earth, and the Sun are aligned in one straight line. The moon blocks the Earth's view of the sun and intervenes the light of the star from reaching the Earth. The partial solar eclipse will occur about 4 days before the moon reaches its farthest point from the Earth.

(Phases of a solar eclipse; Image: Unsplash/Representative)

What not to do during Solar Eclipse?

Informing about the eclipse, NASA cautioned that a solar filter should be used to look at the Sun during the eclipse.

Sunglasses, should not be considered a replacement for the solar filters and can cause harm if used to witness the eclipse. "Solar viewing or eclipses glasses are NOT regular sunglasses; regular sunglasses are not safe for viewing the Sun," NASA Science cautioned in a blog post. 

As per NASA, indirect methods such as using pinhole cameras are the safest to witness the cosmic phenomenon.