Solar eclipse June 2021 - time, date and everything you need to know

• The first solar eclipse of 2021 will happen on Thursday, June 10 following the lunar eclipse of 2021 that happened on May 26.
  
  
• 2021 will see two solar eclipses and two lunar eclipses totaling the number of eclipses for the year to four.
  
  
• Astronomy describes the phenomenon behind the upcoming June 10 solar eclipse as a ‘Ring of Fire’, which will be a spectacular event.
  

An eclipse happens when a celestial body passing in between two other celestial bodies hides one from the view. Solar eclipse and lunar eclipse are the two popular kinds of eclipses that can be seen from the Earth. The 2021 calendar lists four eclipses – two lunar and two solar. The first lunar eclipse of 2021 happened on May 26. The first solar eclipse of this year will happen on Thursday, June 10. As per leading astronomers, this will be a partial and annular solar eclipse that will present a spectacular sight known as ‘Ring of Fire’.

Date and time of the first solar eclipse of 2021

What is known as an annular solar eclipse will happen on Thursday, 10 June 2021. Notably, this will be the first solar eclipse of 2021 among the two lined up for this year. According to Timeanddate.com, this solar eclipse on June 10, 2021 will start at 01:42 p.m and will last till 06:41 p.m.. in India.

Who all can see the solar eclipse?

US’ space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) says the annular solar eclipse on June 10, 2021 can be seen from some parts of Canada, Greenland, and Russia. Those living in northern Ontario and on the north side of Lake Superior can get a glimpse of this event. From Canada, the upcoming eclipse can be seen only for about three minutes.

When the eclipse is at its peak, the people living in Greenland will see a spectacular ring of fire. This event can also be spotted from Siberia and the North Pole. This solar eclipse cannot be seen from the US and India.

What causes different types of eclipses?

Eclipses happen in different fashions depending on how the three celestial objects namely the Earth, Moon and the Sun are lined up during the event. Some eclipses are total, while some are partial. These terms describe the extent to which the Sun or Moon are hidden from view.

What causes an annular solar eclipse?

An annular solar eclipse is a partial eclipse since the Sun is hidden from view only partially. An annular solar eclipse happens if the Moon is positioned farthest from the Earth during the eclipse. Since the Moon is farthest in its orbit from the Earth, its size will be small, which is not good enough to hide the total view of the Sun. When such an eclipse is at its peak, the Moon will hide the centre of the Sun leaving a ring of fire around its periphery. This will be a spectacular event for the sky gazers. Hence, people eagerly await to see how the upcoming solar eclipse will appear. People living in regions where the eclipse will not be visible can get to enjoy this online in real time on some websites like timeanddate.com.