Watch 'Ring of Fire' during Monday's solar eclipse

NEW DELHI: Sky gazers in parts of the world are up for a celestial treat on May 21 when an annular solar eclipse takes place, a rare event in which the sun will appear as a thin ring behind the moon. However, in India it will only be visible in the northeastern states.

An annual solar eclipse occurs when the Sun, the Moon and the Earth are exactly in line, but the apparent size of the Moon is smaller than that of the Sun, therefore only a part of the sun gets blocked. Hence the Sun appears like an annulus (ring), surrounding the outline of the Moon.

The next annular solar eclipse will occur after 18 years in June 2030.

An annular eclipse of the Sun will occur May 21. The ending of the partial phase of the eclipse will be visible for a very short duration from northeast India after sunrise," said an official of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Other parts of India won't be able to watch the eclipse as it will be over before sunrise.

"As the Sun won't be fully covered, you have to wear proper protection for your eyes even during the eclipse. You will also need a filter (ND filter or similar) for your camera to protect the sensor when taking pictures with telephoto/zoom lens," he said.