Review on The Campaign Organised by Nepal Astronomical Society in collaboration with NAST on The Century Longest Total Solar Eclipse.

Thousands of Nepalese watched Total solar Eclispe on July 22, 2009. The longest total solar Eclipse of 21st Century that crossed half of the world was observed on Wednesday, 22 July, 2009 .The once in a life time Total Solar Eclipse was viewed from 14 districts while the Partial Eclipse was observed from other remaining 61 districts of Nepal at 05:45 and lasted up to 07:47 hours in the morning. Maximum of 3:49 minute of Totality was seen from Bhadrapur .People were surprised to see the unusual behavior of birds and animals at the time of Totality.

Fikkal of Illam, Biratnagar of Morang and Gaighat of Udaypur districts were three good sites under the path of totality for the observation of Total Solar Eclipse . Unfortunately, NASO members were unable to visit these places and missed the opportunity of viewing totality from their own home country for their whole life time.

July 22- NASO organised Total Solar Eclipse Observation Campaign at NAST in Collaboration with NAST from 05:00-8:00 Hrs. The programme was live on Sagarmatha Television (Satellite television that has a wide area of coverage around the world). The Honorable Prime Minister ,Madhav Kumar Nepal, attended the programme around 06:30 Hrs. We arrange special arrangement for the Interview of Prime Minister and President of NASO on BBC London. The event was highly covered by TV channels Nepal One, Avenues Television, Nepal Television, National Television. NASO was on live telephone interview in different Radio and FM stations from different parts of Nepal . The programme was attended by more than 3oo people.

Meanwhile Jayanta Acharya, IYA SPoC for Nepal, arranged a programme on Takshashila Academy which was live on Avenues Television from 05:30:08:00 Hrs . More than 500 people attended including the German Ambassador to Nepal Verena Graefin Von Roden.

B.P. Koirala Memorial Planetarium, Observatory and Science Museum Development Board arranged a programme at Kathmandu Mall to view the Partial Solar Eclipse which was live on Kantipur Television during the Eclipse. TV channel, Nepal One did live telecast of the Eclipse from their Studio in the morning of July 22. Highly Enthusiastic people for Eclipse Observation booked tickets of Special Mountain flight on Buddha Air and Yeti Air .Unfortunately, they had clouds soaring to above 45,000 ft and the path of totality was completely covered up by clouds . By the time the planes flew over Ilam, the umbra had moved northeastwards towards Bhutan. Yeti Air had one of its Jetstreams parked in Biratnagar overnight and took off to make a holding pattern to see the eclipse.

Although people saw the eclipse, Mr Everest was completely shrouded in dark clouds. There was however a moment when Cho Oyu and Gauri Shankhar came into view, bathed in ghostly gray eclipse twilight.

JUlY 21 - 'Meet Your Scientists', a talk programme was organised at Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) from 14:00-17:00 hrs 2009. Er. Rishi Shah, Academician of NAST and President of NASO, Jayanta Acharya, Lecturer of Balmiki Campus and SPoC of IYA for Nepal, Suresh Bhattarai, Sudeep Neupane founder members of NASO talked on The Century's longest total solar eclipse . G.D. Pudasaini and Utsav Kandel, two men behind the Nepal’s First Astronomy Documentary gave brief introduction about the documentary 'Hubble and The Universe'.

July 20- Nepal Astronomical Society(NASO) did broad media coverage on The longest Total Solar Eclipse of 21st Century for the public awareness and the safe observation of the Solar Eclipse.People from 14 districts of Nepal could enjoy the spectacular view of the Total Solar Eclipse from 05:45 to 07:47 NST while rest of 61 districts would observe the partial Solar Eclipse.

NASO conducted The Training Session for Local People and School and College Students of Kathmandu on making a Pin Hole Projection Box for the safer view of the Eclipse.

July 19- NASO interviewed by Sagarmatha Television .

July 18- NASO interviewed by Nepal Television(NTV)(national channel of Nepal) and Center for Information Network(CIN)(the umbrella network for more than 150 FM stations throughout the nation)

           Press Release:Total Solar Eclipse in Nepal on July 22,2009(श्रावण ७ गते नेपालमा खग्रास सुर्यग्रहण)

The longest total solar eclipse of 21st century that crosses half of the world is taking place on Wednesday 22 July 2009. Its umbral path begins from Gulf of Khambhat in western coast of India and passes through eastern Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and China. After leaving mainland Asia, it hurries towards Japan's Ryukyu Islands and curves southeast through the Pacific Ocean where the maximum duration of totality reaches astoundingly six minutes and thirty nine seconds on areas southeast of Bonin Islands. It will end near Marshall Islands roughly after three and half hours. The awe-inspiring partial eclipse can be seen within broader track of the moon's penumbral shadow, which includes most of eastern Asia, Indonesia and the Pacific Ocean. This once-in-a-life-time total solar eclipse can be enjoyed on this day especially from 14 districts while the partial eclipse could be observed from remaining 61 districts of Nepal from 05:45 to 07:47 hours in the morning .The Sun and Moon are located between zodiacal constellations Cancer (crab) and Gemini (twins). The last Total Solar Eclipse seen in Nepal was on January 22, 1898 and the next one will be on May 14, 2124 A.D.

Solar eclipse is a spectacular natural phenomenon that occurs when the shadow of moon falls upon earth’s surface. The moon orbits earth that is also rushing around the Sun along so-called ecliptic plane. Both earth and moon produce no light of their own, but could create their shadows on one another by blocking the sunlight falling upon them. The moon is earth’s fascinating satellite. It is the fifth largest one in our Solar System. The mean distance from earth to moon is fairly 385 thousand kilometers.The moon completes its orbit around earth in 27.3 days (sidereal period), but due to periodic variations in the geometry of earth–moon–Sun, its phases are repeated every 29.5 days (synodic period). Its diameter is fairly 3.5 thousand kilometers.

The plane of moon’s trajectory is slightly tilted (by about five degrees) to that of earth's trail around Sun. These two planes intersect each other at two points dubbed as lunar nodes. Earth scoots around the ecliptic, while the moon glides around its own orbital plane. When moon arrives near the node during new moon, it can eclipse the Sun. As lunar shadow plunges on earth, we can scrutinize the awesome solar eclipse, but when the moon is at opposite node’s proximity during full moon, it can be steeped into earth's shadow and we could witness fascinating lunar eclipse.

Amateur astronomers and eclipse-chasers could photograph this arcane celestial event. During final instants before totality, the light shining through valleys in moon's surface seemingly mimics beads on lunar periphery. The eerie last flash of light from the Sun’s surface disappears and displays the famous diamond ring image. Scientific community, amateurs and professionals are waiting eagerly during the present International Year of Astronomy to relish this incredibly thrilling celestial marvel. Watching solar eclipse directly is irreparably harmful to eye-sight. It is vehemently advised to behold this wonderful eclipse indirectly on reflected images or only through certified protective glasses or shades to avoid any permanent damage to the eyes. We strongly recommend making Projection Boxes, that are easy to make and safe for the Observation of the Solar Eclipse.

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