Assam University organises Solar Eclipse viewing camp in Hailakandi
সূর্যগ্রহণ দেখতে হাইলাকান্দিতে শিবির আয়োজন করল আসাম বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়

December 26: An Annular Solar Eclipse viewing camp was organised at at Shyamacharan L P School in Hailakandi on Thursday. The camp was organized by the Prescientia Coaching Centre, Hailakandi in association with the Department of Physics, Assam University, Silchar, Barak Astronony Club and Aryabhatta Science Centre.

At the inaugural programme of Annular Solar Eclipse Viewing Camp, Deputy Commissioner of Hailakandi  Keerthi Jally, Dr. Sandipan Dhar, School Inspector of Hailakandi Rajib Jha and Dr. Manoj Dev, ex faculty of S S College were the distinguished guests who were present there. Dr. Himadri Sekhar Das, Assistant Professor of the Department of Physics of Assam University presented a talk on “Space Missions of India.”

A public show of the solar eclipse was organised with telescopes and Pinhole camera in the playground near Shyamacharan L. P. School, Hailakandi on December 26, 2019 from 8:30 AM onwards. Enthusiastic public from all walks of life gathered there to have a glimpse of the eclipse through the telescopes.

A quiz competition on Astronomy was also organized at Shyamacharan L P School, Hailakandi in this connection to popularize the subject among young students of the district. The prizes were distributed by Oishee Das to three position holders in memory of Late Himanshu Sekhar Das, father of Dr. Himadri Sekhar Das.

Expressing his views, Dr. Himadri Sekhar Das said, ” We thank Prescientia Coaching Centre, specially Parijat Deb Roy and Abhijit Mitra, for organising this event. Special thanks to Quiz master Tanuj Dhar arranger Gulafsha Choudhury and mentor Dr. Sudip Choudhury of Dept of Chemistry, Assam University, Silchar. We have registered the public show event in the website of Astronomical Society of India. We are only institute in entire North East who are organizing such an event.”

The solar eclipse occured on 26 December, 2019 through a narrow corridor sweeping from the Arabian Peninsula all the way to the Pacific Ocean via southern India, the Bay of Bengal, Singapore, and Indonesia. This eclipse was visible in some parts of India including Northeast. The maximum obstruction of the sun during the eclipse when seen from different cities of India were 89.4 per cent in Bengaluru, 84.6 per cent in Chennai, 78.8 per cent in Mumbai, 74.3 per cent in Hyderabad, 66 per cent in Ahmedabad and 44.7 per cent in Delhi, and 35 per cent in Silchar, Hailakandi and Karimganj.