Key Points

This partial solar eclipse, scheduled for Sunday, will not be visible from India. However, people in parts of Australia, Antarctica, the Pacific Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean will have the opportunity to witness the phenomenon.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth, and the Moon casts a shadow on the Earth and blocks sunlight completely. But during a partial eclipse, only 85 per cent of the Sun will be obscured in some places by the Moon.

In a partial eclipse, Earth's shadow appears very dark on the side of the Moon facing Earth. What people see from Earth during a partial lunar eclipse depends on how the Sun, Earth, and Moon align.

The event will begin at 10:59 p.m. (Indian time) on Sunday night, reach its peak at 1:11 a.m. (Indian time) early on Monday, and end at 3:23 a.m.

The year 2025 had four eclipses: two partial solar eclipses and two total lunar eclipses. The partial eclipse on Sunday night is the second and last eclipse of 2025.

It will also occur a day before the autumnal equinox or the official start of fall in the northern hemisphere, marked on September 22.

Astronomically, this is the time when the Sun finds itself exactly above the equator.

On this day, Earth isn't tilted toward or away from the Sun, and both day and night are almost exactly 12 hours (with a few small exceptions).

Meanwhile, the next solar eclipse is slated for February 17 and August 12, 2026. While these will again not be visible from India, the country will get to witness a solar eclipse in August 2027.

- IANS