Moscow, Jan 3: It has been predicted that the year 2011 will see four solar and two total lunar eclipses in different parts of the world, including India. Among that, the first set of the two major events will take place on Tuesday, Jan 4, a meteor shower and a solar eclipse.
The annual Quadrantid shower is experienced when the planet travels through the debris left by a comet. The shower is expected to produce a large number of meteors within the short time, before dawn on Jan 3.
According to predictions, the spectacle will be best seen from Western Asia and Eastern Europe. It has also been forcasted that a partial eclipse of the sun takes stage during the daylight hours on Tuesday in Europe, Northern Africa, the Middle East, and the western and central portions of Asia.
Robert Dick, a former astronomy instructor at Carleton University in Ottawa said, “About 100 meteors an hour will rain down during the shower. But because they will radiate low on the horizon, we might see only about half as many."
Dick added, “Smaller particles will leave a faint, silvery grey trail and larger ones can glow red or green, depending on the gases they intersect with in the atmosphere."
The total lunar eclipse on Jun 15 will be visible from India, the Middle East, Africa and southern Europe.
Another eclipse shall take place on Nov 25. The eclipse will be visible from Antarctica and its surrounding seas. During the eclipse the moon will cover 90.4 percent of sun's diameter, also known as Surya Grahan mostly in the India subcontinent.
If you are a astronomy enthusiast waiting for this spectacle to unfold in the sky, remember to take the proper precaution to protect your eyes.