Longest total solar eclipse of this century on August 2? NASA reveals exact date, says cosmic event will be visible in...
Longest solar eclipse: A rumor has gone viral on social media platforms that a total solar eclipse will occur on August 2, 2025 (Saturday), however, NASA has clarified that the cosmic event will not take place in 2025. Interestingly, the solar eclipse will be the longest of this century, and is estimated to last for more than six minutes. When will the solar eclipse occur?
According to NASA, the century's longest total solar eclipse will take place on August 2, 2027, and will last an astonishing six minutes and 22 seconds at its peak, almost twice the duration of most total solar eclipses. During the eclipse, a part of the earth upon which the shadow of the moon falls, will be engulfed in complete darkness during the day for the entirety of the cosmic event.
As per scientists, several astronomical conditions will come together to birth this unique solar eclipse during which the Earth will be at its farthest point from the Sun, while the Moon will be closest to the planet, making them appear smaller and larger, respectively. The rare phenomenon will allow the moon to cast a long shadow on a part of the earth, resulting in a total solar eclipse.
The eclipse is calculated to pass near the equator where the moon's shadow moves slower than the surface of the Earth, which is one of the reasons for the event's long duration. Where will the eclipse be visible in India?
While the 2027 total solar eclipse can be viewed in several countries across the world, including Egypt, Gibraltar, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Spain, Sudan, Tunisia, Yemen and Afghanistan, the event will not be visible in India or in the entire Indian subcontinent.
However, NASA will broadcast the eclipse on its various platforms, allowing astronomy connoisseurs to view the event from any place on Earth, including India.
A partial solar eclipse will also be visible in the many countries. How does an eclipse occur?
A solar eclipse is a rare astronomical event that occurs when the moon passes between the earth and the Sun, blocking the sun's light and casting a shadow on our planet. Solar eclipses occur during the new moon, when it is located in a direct line between Earth and the Sun. During a solar eclipse, the sun's light does not reach the earth directly, allowing a rare opportunity for scientists and astronomers to study the corona.
The longest total solar eclipse, which is set to occur on August 2, 2027, will be the longest such event of its kind to take place between 1991 and 2114.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
14 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Why women dropout of STEM careers despite high enrollment
Despite high enrolment numbers of girls in STEM education in many parts of the world, including India, a significant gender gap continues in STEM careers. According to the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report, women make up only 35% of STEM graduates globally. This number has not changed much in the last 10 years. The workforce numbers are even more concerning: women comprise just 26% of professionals in Data Science and AI, 15% in Engineering, and only 12% in Cloud Computing. India's case is similar. Nearly 40% of students enrolled in STEM higher education are women but, when it comes to the workforce, women account for only 14-27% of STEM professionals, as per data from the Ministry of Science and Technology. This raises the question: why are so many women leaving STEM before entering or advancing in their careers? Reasons This is due to several roadblocks such as lack of mentorship, workplace biases, fewer role models, limited support during life transitions such as marriage or motherhood, and deeply rooted social expectations. But one of the most critical, and often overlooked, reason is school, where interests are formed, self-belief is shaped, and future goals take root. Often, girls are not encouraged to see STEM careers as relevant to them. Gender-neutral career guidance is still not widespread, and many career-counselling sessions reinforce traditional roles instead of broadening horizons. Teachers, parents, and even peers may unintentionally signal that subjects such as Engineering or Computer Science are better suited for boys. This narrows the range of options girls feel confident pursuing. It is often not a lack of skill or interest that holds girls back, but the lack of encouragement and belief from their surroundings. Classroom changes Teachers play a powerful role in either widening or narrowing these career pathways. Small changes in classroom behaviour can make a big difference. For instance, giving girls equal opportunities to lead science projects, encouraging them to participate in robotics competitions, or just calling on them to answer technical questions helps build confidence. In a government school in Rajasthan, after teachers were trained in inclusive STEM instruction, girls' participation in science exhibitions doubled in a year. One teacher noted that simply showing video clips of Indian women scientists like Tessy Thomas or ISRO's Ritu Karidhal during classroom sessions sparked more questions and discussions from girls, who said they had never seen someone like them in those roles before. Teacher training Despite their influence, most teachers do not receive training on how to identify or reduce gender bias. In practice, this means boys often dominate lab work, are asked more technical questions, or are given leadership positions in group tasks. Over time, girls may internalise the belief that STEM is not for them. Organisations working with school systems have found that teacher training focused on gender-responsive teaching can shift this. A project by Pratham Education Foundation reported that, after implementing such training, the number of girls voluntarily joining STEM clubs in schools rose by 46% over one academic year. The goal is not to introduce separate curriculums for girls, but to make sure existing systems work equally well for everyone. This includes creating classrooms where curiosity is rewarded, mistakes are seen as learning steps, and every student, regardless of gender, is encouraged to take part. The challenge ahead is clear: we must move beyond enrollment and focus on building strong pathways that carry girls through to fulfilling STEM careers. With early career guidance, teacher support, mentorship, and role models, we can begin to close the gender gap not just in classrooms, but in workplaces and research labs too. The writer is CEO and Co-Founder of STEMROBO Technologies.
Mint
14 minutes ago
- Mint
‘Secret' disease-causing bacteria blast off to space with NASA-SpaceX Crew 11 mission
SpaceX has just launched its Crew-11 mission into space, and along with it, a 'secret' member: disease-causing bacteria. Or, at least, such bacteria will be growing aboard the ISS very soon. The crew will study the effects of microgravity on bacteria-killing viruses. According to the bacterial strains involved in the study are E. coli, Salmonella bongori, and Salmonella typhimurium. They will be studied by NASA's Crew-11 mission, which successfully blasted off to space on Friday (August 1). The study—developed by scientists at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel in partnership with the US-based space tech company SpaceTango—will examine how microgravity affects the growth of certain bacterial species that cause diseases in humans, reported. NASA said the 'Genes in Space-12' – competitions in which students in grades 7-12 design DNA experiments that are flown to the space station – examines 'the effects of microgravity on interactions between certain bacteria and bacteriophages (viruses that infect and kill bacteria)." Bacteriophages are already used to treat bacterial infections on Earth, the US space agency said. An expert said that the experiment could help establish a foundation that could focus on "potentially decreasing the dependence on antibiotics." "This investigation could establish a foundation for using these viruses to treat bacterial infections in space, potentially decreasing the dependence on antibiotics," Scott Copeland of Boeing, and co-founder of Genes in Space, said. Researchers will grow different strains of bacteria under microgravity (in space), reported. Researchers will analyse how space conditions impact gene expression related to virulence and antibiotic resistance. The bacteria will be stabilised and frozen at -80°C. The samples will then be returned to Earth to evaluate how they've grown differently from the same bacteria grown on the home planet. This is the second ARC Space Lab experiment, and the first that will take place at the ISS. Researchers behind the latest ISS-and-bacteria mission reportedly hope to bring home data that will help curb the spread of infectious disease, or at least help experts find ways to stop bacteria from developing antibiotic resistance. This is significant as antibiotic resistance in bacteria is said to be a major public health problem. It happens when certain disease-causing bacteria develop the ability to counteract the effects of antibiotics, making drugs ineffective in treating infections caused by those bacteria. Meanwhile, Scott Copeland said, 'Phages [Bacteriophages] produced in space could have profound implications for human health, microbial control, and the sustainability of long-duration remote missions." "Phage therapy tools also could revolutionise how we manage bacterial infections and microbial ecosystems on Earth," he added. Besides, this experiment will allow researchers, for the first time, "to systematically and molecularly map how the genetic expression profile of several pathogenic bacteria changes in space," Ohad Gal-Mor, Head of the Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory at Sheba Medical Center, was quote by as saying. 'The insights we gain will augment our understanding of infectious disease risks in space travel, and also expand our knowledge of gene regulation and bacterial physiology in general,' he said. Moreover, data on genetic changes in bacteria will hopefully provide researchers with more clues about how they act once inside a human, whether it's how fast they spread or their likelihood of getting around our treatments: both in space and on Earth. Scientists have already studied how a lack of gravity affects the way bacteria grow. Besides, research from NASA is already underway to study bacteria in space in general. "We know that space conditions affect bacterial behavior, including how they grow, express genes, and acquire traits like antibiotic resistance or virulence," Ohad Gal-Mor said. According to the report, human genes sometimes express themselves differently in microgravity conditions. Scientists have linked such an environment to the expedited loss of muscle seen in astronauts, and even their likelihood of developing skin rashes.
Indian Express
44 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Mobile phone felt so heavy on Earth': Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla on challenges in space and back home
How can one become an astronaut? This, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla remarked, is the most common question he is asked by children. 'If children across Bharat are asking this question, we are halfway there and the rest is just enabling them,' Group Captain Shukla said on Friday, speaking about the intangible successes that the Axiom-4 space mission has brought to India's young generation. Shukla was one of the four crew members who spent 18 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) during the Axiom-4 mission. He is currently in the US, undergoing rehabilitation after his maiden space sojourn that marked the return of an Indian in space after four decades. The Axiom-4 crew—commander Peggy Whitson, Shukla, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu—were speaking for the first time during a media interaction after their return from space on July 15. 'The technical milestones (of the space mission) are measurable and crucial. But the mission was able to spark a belief in the young minds of India. This is where the future is beginning. The mission is a true success, and all the knowledge will be useful for India's Gaganyaan programme. I appreciate that it takes efforts from a lot of people on earth to realise such a space mission,' Shukla said. Shukla shared that he had been overwhelmed with congratulatory messages since his return a fortnight ago. 'Mission exceeded all my expectations. The love, support and messages that came from every part of Bharat have filled me with a new purpose which whispers every day, since I have landed,' he said, adding, 'I have done the homework well (that of noting down everything while at the ISS) as assigned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. My interaction with the PM was special.' Shukla said that all the experiments he performed have been brought back and dispatched to the respective research institutes in India. 'It is fun to do science in space, but it is challenging. I remember vividly, peering into the microscope and seeing the stem cells behave positively under microgravity and showing encouraging patterns. It was science in action, 400 km away from Earth. I felt a surge of pride for both the data and the scientists who made science come alive in space,' he said. All the astronauts shared that they faced challenges adjusting to the microgravity environment, but agreed that the human body soon adapted to space conditions. 'After a few days, space felt very natural,' said Kapu, who noted that folding clothes at the space station was a real challenge. In the same manner, the return to Earth and adapting to gravity was no easy task, the three maiden space-faring astronauts remarked. 'Holding the mobile phone felt so heavy when back on Earth,' Shukla said, recalling his early days back and trying to click a photo on his phone. The Axiom-4 crew will spend another two weeks attending de-briefing sessions in the US before they head back to their respective countries. Shukla is expected to be back in New Delhi on August 17.
