Total Solar Eclipse December 14, 2020
After an Annular Solar Eclipse of June 21, 2020, the last solar eclipse of this year will be a total one where the Moon completely blocks the Sun giving us a spectacular view of the solar atmosphere, the corona. The total solar eclipse is occurring on December 14 2020 beginning at 7:03 PM IST with the peak at 9:43 PM IST before ending at 12:23 AM IST on December 15. This eclipse is not visible from India but could be seen from South-American countries like Chile and Argentina. Here are a few images of the solar eclipse.
The total solar eclipse as seen from Piedra del Aquila, Neuquen province, Argentina on December 14, 2020.
Total Solar Eclipse and the Predictions
Before the occurrence of the eclipse, the shape of the corona that will be observed during the totality has been predicted by scientists all over the globe. As the Sun has recently entered a new solar-cycle the magnetic field configuration is changing frequently making it difficult for predictions. In spite of such hurdles, one such group lead by Prof. Dibyendu Nandi at Center of Excellence in Space Sciences, India, predicts the possibility of a petal-like structure on the Sun's east limb while a more diffused structure on the western limb. The details of this prediction can be found in the following link: http://www.cessi.in/solareclipse2020/
Prediction of the total solar eclipse 2020 observation by (Left:) CESSI group, (Right:) Predictive Science Inc.
Another group of scientists working in Predictive Science Inc. predicted similar structures to be observed during the eclipse. The details could be found here: http://www.predsci.com/corona/dec2020eclipse/home.php. The observations of the total solar eclipse will enable us to enhance our understanding of solar magnetic activity thereby improving such models.
More information about this eclipse:
Further information about this event could be found on the following pages: