Major solar eclipse today, but not to be visible

HYDERABAD: The largest and last solar eclipse of this year will occur on Friday. A partial solar eclipse, it will be visible in Antarctica, Tasmania, New Zealand and the southern tip of Africa.According to Planetary Society of India, the eclipse can be called the largest as the moon will eclipse 90 percent of the sun. The eclipse will begin at 9.53 a.m and end at 1.47 p.m. The next opportunity to see a major solar eclipse in India will only be on December 26, 2019. Another solar eclipse will occur in 2016 and will be visible only in a few Indian states for a few minutes, said Raghunandan Kumar, general secretary, Planetary Society of India. There have been six eclipses this year out of which four were solar and two lunar. Kumar added this 4:2 ratio in a single year is significant as it is rare and will occur only 6 times in the 21st century- 2011, 2029, 2047, 2065, 2076 and 2094.