A life-time achievement

Clouds and rains prove a dampener

More than a thousand years after astronomer Aryabhatta set up a camp in Taregna to study the movement of stars, the same village on July 22, 2009 (Wednesday) witnessed the total solar eclipse, the longest in the 21st century.

Taregna, about 30 kms south of Bihar capital Patna, has been adjudged the best place to view the celestial phenomena by the NASA.

Clouds, however, played a nearly spoilsport to view the rare celestial spectacle for the thousands who gathered at rooftops, parks of Taregna to watch this century’s longest total solar eclipse.
The small town Taregna hosted about two lakh scientists, researchers and astro-tourists from across the globe to witness the eclipse.

The duration of the total eclipse in Taregna was about 3 minutes 48 seconds. Total eclipse was an important day for scientists for studying atmospheric ionization, geomagnetism, asteroids, animals and avian behavioural changes as well as impact on micro-organisms during, before and after the eclipse.

It is believed that ancient India’s great astronomer Aryabhata set up a camp in Taregna to watch the celestial bodies. The first Indian satellite, launched on April 19, 1975, from erstwhile SovietUnion, was named after the great astronomer.

Photographs taken by Aftab Alam Siddiqui show how Patnaites and those who gathered in Taregna from acorss the world enjoyed the period of longest ever solar eclipse of this century.