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Solar
eclipse popularises astro-tourism in India New
Delhi: After space tourism, it is astro-tourism that is catching up people's
fancy, courtesy the ensuing total solar eclipse. Air charter and tourist operators
in India are receiving an overwhelming response for chartered flights to view
total solar eclipse of longest duration in 21st century. All set to take place
on July 22, the eclipse holds special interest for scientists and general public
as its path of totality passes through thickly populated western, central, eastern
and northeastern regions of India. Cox & Kings, a travel agency claims that both
amateur astronomers and others are booking for the Boeing-737 that they have hired
for the two-hour journey from Delhi to Gaya in Bihar to watch the rare total solar
eclipse. Each ticket is priced at rupees 79,000 (around 1,618 dollars). "Well,
we have got very strong response. The airline that we are flying has 21 seats
facing the sun and 21 more window seats, which are facing away from the sun, facing
the earth. We call them the 'sun side seats' and the 'earth side seats'. The sun
side seats, which will have direct view of the eclipse, cost about 79,000 rupees.
We are actually getting very strong response form the amateur astronomy circles
in India, from the corporate world and a wide variety of audience," said Nikhil
Pawar, Scientific Officer, Space Technology and Education Private Limited, Mumbai.
On July 22, the moon will totally eclipse the sun after a decade. The next total
solar eclipse will take place again only in 2034. People on board these chartered
flights can watch the eclipse for almost 10 times more than those on ground. And,
there are reasons attributed to such a phenomenon. "Theoretically the totality
(of the eclipse) can be only 7 minutes 30 seconds. So that is the maximum you
can get, if you are stationed at one place and during that period, by chasing
the moon shadow they (people in airplanes) increase the time to 74 minutes that
means almost ten times than the theoretically maximum possible," Piyush Pandey,
Director, Nehru Planetarium, Mumbai. Meanwhile, hotel owners in Patna are preparing
to welcome the rush of astro-tourist guests expected to halt here. "The solar
eclipse on the 22nd can be seen from Bihar. The tourists will come on the 21st
and 12 rooms have been booked for them in our hotel," said Vinay Pandey, owner
Hotel Republic, Patna. In India, the eclipse will commence soon after sunrise.
Surat and Vadodra in Gujarat, Indore and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh apart from Varanasi
in Uttar Pradesh and Patna in Bihar are stated to be the ideal locations for good
views of the total solar eclipse. It provides a rare opportunity to view and study
this grand spectacle of nature. The partial phase of the eclipse will be visible
throughout the country. Astro-tourism comes as a surprise in a country where people
for ages have been considering eclipses especially solar eclipses as bad omen.
The belief that the sun is at the mercy of two evil planets, Rahu and Ketu causing
the eclipse, still prevails among a large section of people despite propagation
of scientific temper among the masses. -July
9, 2009 Go
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