Pakistan to witness solar eclipse on June 21: PMD

Pakistan will observe an annular solar eclipse on June 21 (Sunday), announced Saturday by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).

According to the met office, apart from southern parts of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, parts of Africa including the Central African Republic, Congo and Ethiopia and northern parts of India and China will also see the solar eclipse.

An annular solar eclipse happens when the Moon covers the middle of the Sun, leaving the outer edges of the Sun visible to form a “ring of fire” or annulus around the earth.

Pakistan’s partial eclipse will start at 8:46 PST and end at 14:34 with the full eclipse to be seen at 11:40 PST.

Maximum eclipse magnitudes in major Pakistani cities will be as follows, according to the PMD:

The maximum visible solar eclipse in Karachi will be 91.53 percent, beginning at 09:26 PST, hitting a maximum at 10:59, and ending at 12:46 PST.

Sukkur will observe the eclipse’s highest magnitude, which will be 98.78, starting at 09:33 PST, peaking at 11:07, and ending at 12:54 PST.

In Islamabad, the eclipse will have a maximum magnitude of 81.99, beginning at 09:50 PST, hitting a maximum at 11:25, and ending at 13:06 PST.

In Lahore, the maximum magnitude of the eclipse will be 91.19, which will begin at 09:48 PST, will reach maximum at 11:26, and will end at 13:10 PST.

The average eclipse magnitude in Peshawar will be 79.44, beginning at 09:48 PST, hitting an average at 11:21 and ending at 13:02 PST.

In Quetta, the eclipse ‘s maximum magnitude will be 87.93, starting at 09:35 PST, reaching its climax at 11:06 and ending at 12:49 PST.

In Gilgit, the solar eclipse will have a maximum magnitude of 74.88, starting at 09:56 PST, reaching a maximum at 11:30 and ending at 13:08 PST.

In Muzaffarabad, the eclipse will have a maximum magnitude of 79.96, starting at 09:52 PST, reaching a maximum at 11:26 and ending at 13:07 PST.

In Gwadar, the eclipse will have a maximum magnitude of 97.8 starting at 09:20 PST, hitting a maximum at 10:48 and ending at 12:32 PST.