CELESTIAL RING

One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them,

One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

---- Lord of the Rings by J.R.R.Tolkien

I ran to the terrace with, sun filter in one hand and digital camera in another, to have a glimpse of solar eclipse (which was partial in Bangalore) on July 22, 2009. I was disappointed when clouds covered the sun and didn’t give him a chance to show himself.

I came down to my house to watch the eclipse in the TV. I was watching the live telecast of eclipse from the Varanasi. The total eclipse which was witnessed there was the longest one occurring in the 21^st century. During, the entire eclipse, my father began scolding me properly for not going to Varanasi and viewing the eclipse and missing such an excellent opportunity.

Entire day, I spent cursing myself for not going to witness the eclipse, which occurred in India. As soon as I came back from the office, I began going through the net, in order to see the next best opportunity of viewing the total solar eclipse.

After, couple of hours going through the net, I saw that next best total solar eclipse visible in India is only on March 20, 2034. I cursed myself properly for missing the eclipse. I began going through the site for other eclipses, which are visible in India and noticed that, Annular Eclipse occurring on January 15 2010 is visible in India, that too south India. I jumped with joy at this news. I quickly went through the places where annularity can be found and found out that, Annularity could be viewed at Madurai for around 3 minutes (http://www.eclipse.org.uk/eclipse).

I checked out the animation and decided that I would go to Madurai on January 15, 2010 to view the eclipse at any cost. After that day, I almost forgot about the eclipse, as I had to study for one of my entrance exams.

Again, I remembered it in first week of the January 2010. I went through the NASA’s (http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html) website on eclipses to download the maps related to that particular annular eclipse. I went through the maps and found that, central path of the eclipse passes through the Srilanka and near Rameswaram, but I didn’t think much about it, as I didn’t have an animation to view the local circumstances at Rameswaram.

After, deciding to view the eclipse at Madurai I booked the tickets for me and my brother. I began preparing for the expedition, collecting the necessary filters for viewing the sun, goggle and looking for best places near Madurai where annularity can be seen for still more time. In this process, I came across the internet that, the eclipse, which I had planned, was supposed to be the longest in the Millennium. Another thing I found out that next annular eclipse occurring in June 2085 is visible at Bangalore with annularity at Bangalore (I was misinformed and misinformed others, saying that it was the best but later checked in the net to see that next best is on December 26, 2019 with centre line passing near Coimbatore). My excitement enhanced further. My date of journey approached and I have to leave on January 14, night, to reach Madurai in the morning. I booked the Volvo after having a nasty experience in Rajahamsa (K.S.R.T.C) before. Few hours before leaving, my father came with a newspaper clipping saying that; annular ring will be visible during this eclipse. I said that I know this already. Then he said that if I don’t see the annular ring then there is not much difference between viewing at Madurai (Where annular ring is not visible) and at Bangalore. I was awestruck at his comments. I opened the net, began going through the various maps and finally pointed out that the centerline (where annular ring is visible) passes through the Danushkoti, which is near Rameswaram (in fact 23kms from Rameswaram).

I was disappointed at my planning, as it would be difficult to reach Rameswaram in time. I calculated the time it takes to reach Rameswaram from Madurai and found out that, it will take around three to four hours to be there, but my bus is supposed to reach Madurai at 7:15 in the morning. So even if we take 45 minutes to fresh up we can catch bus by eight or eight thirty and by the time we reach there it will be around twelve or twelve thirty in the afternoon. I was disappointed at my improper planning and thought of changing my plans by preponing the journey. I vigorously searched the net for buses, which can take me there still early, but after my family members’ scolding and unavailability of buses, I was forced to stick on to my current plan.

I took out the printouts of places where, if I manage to reach at the time of annularity, I can at least see the annular ring. I thought that even if I cross the Ramanathapuram then I could at least have a glimpse of the ring.

We boarded the bus and hardly slept, as I was very nervous whether I could make out to it. Luckily, that bus driver made it in 8 hours and we reached Madurai by six in the morning. We got down and booked a room in Aryas Hotel, which was just opposite to the bust stand. I enquired the fellow at the reception about the time it takes to reach Rameswaram from Madurai. He said it would take three hours to reach by car and four plus hours by bus.

I came back to room and plunged into the thoughts whether to go by bus or car. My brother said that it’s waste of money to go by car and asked me to think before booking. I thought and decided to book a car. I booked the car and had our breakfast (idli and vada). Our car arrived at 8:15 AM and we got into it.

We left Madurai at around 8:20. Our driver new only Tamil and we thought it to be difficult to converse with him (of course which was) but could communicate our things in bits and pieces.

He drove at break neck speeds (at 80s and sometimes, reached 100s that too in Tata Indica). As journey progressed, we started encountering the clouds slowly and they increased exponentially (added to effect). Sun played hide and seek behind clouds and entire scenario projected the defeat of sun. I thought that all my money and time would be vain as I lost my hope completely. I prayed god to clear the sky. We crossed Paramgudi, clouds became even thicker, and even there was a scent of mud indicating rainfall. My heart stopped for a second. I never thought that my prayers will be answered so quickly that too in a negative way.

I didn’t leave my hope. We crossed Mandapam and clouds began fading away. We crossed the Pamban Bridge and sky was crystal clear. Then I thought that my prayers had been heard. I looked at the sky and saw the first stage of eclipse.

We got down at the bridge took some photographs of us and of eclipse (first contact took place at 11:15AM). We proceeded for Rameswaram. We reached there at 11:30AM to see scores of people there. Our driver somehow managed to get a parking space, asked us to go to beach, and showed us the way. Rameswaram, town where one of the Dwadasa Jyotirlingas existed and solar eclipse attracted the scores of crowds. As I walked past the temple street I remembered the Abdul Kalam's Wings of Fire, in which he describes his childhood spent at the Rameswaram.

We reached the beach, took out our camera and filters. I jumped into the work of clicking as many photos as possible. It was around 12PM that, moon began blocking the sun, and our excitement too increased threefold (now and then interrupted by people asking us to give our glasses to view an eclipse). We later shifted our venue of viewing it to some hardly populated place.

Moon covered, half of the sun but there was hardly any change in the intensity outside. When moon covered three-fourth, there was a slight dip in the intensity. Slowly, dimness increased with the decreasing brightness of the sun. Crescent began thinning, and our excitement too increased.

Moon made the second contact at 1:15PM, with the Sun, just living a thin crescent. This was the commencement of the annularity. I was very excited and anxious.

Slowly, moon moved upward on the bright disc of sun and entire atmosphere cooled substantially (which is comparatively hot). Entire surroundings became peculiarly lit, it was neither a cloudy day’s light nor twilight but very unique which could be seen only during the annular eclipse.

Even when the sun was covered by the moon (in case of annular eclipse), one cannot directly look at the sun, because sun is so bright that even if small gap is left he will dominate.

It was at 1:22PM that my happiness went beyond words and reached the eternal stage. I was jumping with joy and my mental state reached its pinnacle. For the first time in my life, I saw sun and moon, together, creating an annular ring, which looked like a God's CELESTIAL RING.

By

Karumanchi Viswanatha Sarma

January 16 2010