ECLIPSE - A CELESTIAL SPLENDOUR (GRAHANA VICHARA)..... In the next 18 days the world is going to experience two Eclipses one on 08.10.2014 a Total Lunar Eclipse and the other on 23.10.2014 a Partial Solar Eclipse. So, lets try to understand the concept and significance of an Eclipse. Whenever there is an eclipse generally we come across certain terminology being used and one will always get perplexed with these jargons. To alleviate confusion an attempt is made bringing together commonly used eclipse related terms and their meaning in a codified manner. Eclipse is a natural phenomenon that we come across regularly at least twice in a year. Occurrence of eclipse is always fascinating and the spectacular event leads to never ending thirst for scientific, spiritual, astrological and sociological research. WHAT IS AN ECLIPSE ? Eclipses are caused by the powerful alignment of Sun, the Moon and Earth. Best known are the Lunar Eclipse when the Earth blocks the Sun’s light from the Moon and Solar Eclipse when the Moon blocks the Sun’s light from small portion of the Earth. During a Lunar eclipse Moon enters the shadow of the earth and at Solar eclipse Moon enters the Sun’s disc. Literally speaking Eclipse is a Latin/Greek word; Eclipsis-Ekleipsis-Ekleipein meaning abandonment, fail to appear, obscuring (covering) of one celestial body (star) by another, a temporary or permanent dimming or cutting off of light, a disgraceful or humiliating end or downfall, to overshadow or surpass, to hide from view, to block passage of all or a part of one celestial body into the shadow of another. Scientifically, it is the disappearance of the whole or a part of the Sun when the Moon comes between it and the Earth or disappearance of the Moon when the Earth’s shadow falls across it. WHAT IS A GRAHANA ? In Sanskrit, Eclipse is known as Grahana meaning, held forcibly or to seize or afflicted because of being captured. It also means to absorb or swallow. In general grahana means acceptance. An eclipse is also known as Uparaaga in Sanskrit. If it is solar eclipse it is known as Suryoparaaga and if it is lunar eclipse it is known as Chandroparaaga. WHAT IS SOLAR ECLIPSE (Surya Grahana) ? A Solar Eclipse or Surya Grahana can occur only on the day of Amaavaasya (on a new Moon day),when the Moon is in its new phase, when the Sun and Moon are in conjunction as seen from the Earth. In a solar eclipse Moon is the eclipsing body, passing between Earth and Sun while casting a travelling shadow across Earth’s lighted surface so that the Sun is wholly or partially obscured (covered). WHAT IS LUNAR ECLIPSE (Chandra Grahana) ? Lunar eclipse is caused by the entering of the Moon into the earth-shadow. When the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, the shadow of the Earth covers the Moon producing a Lunar Eclipse. The light of the Moon is darkened temporarily. Chandra Grahana or a Lunar eclipse can occur only on a full moon day (Pournami) when the Moon is directly opposite to the Sun. WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF ECLIPSES ? There are four types of eclipses, total, annular, hybrid and partial. A total eclipse when Sun/Moon is completely obscured. Total eclipse (Sampoorna Grahana) is a rare event though it occurs. An Annular Eclipse when the Sun and Moon are exactly in line, but size of the Moon is apparently smaller than that of the Sun. A Hybrid eclipse that is intermediate between total and annular eclipse. A partial eclipse, when the Sun and Moon are not exactly in line and the celestial body is only partially obscured. WHAT IS GRASTHODAYA ? Grastha means possessed, seized, captured, or swallowed and Udaya means rising time. Grasthodaya means, rising of Sun (sunrise) or Moon (Moonrise) when the eclipse is in progress (solar/lunar) as the case may be. Precisely Grahana (eclipse) would have started already before Sunrise/Moonrise and Sparsha is not visible while Moksha alone is visible. WHAT IS GRASTHAASTHA ? Astha means disappear, setting time, vanished. Grasthaastha means an eclipse (solar/lunar) which is in progress at the time of Sunset or Moonset as the case may be. Precisely Grahana (eclipse) would not have ended before Sunset or Moonset. In this case Sparsha is visible while the Moksha is not visible. WHAT IS KHAGRAASA ? It means total eclipse (solar/lunar) WHAT IS KHANDRAGRASA ? It means partial eclipse (solar/lunar) WHAT ARE THE ECLIPSE PHASES ? There will be three phases during an eclipse. They are Sparsha, Madhya and Moksha. Sparsha means to touch. It is the phase when the eclipse begins and obscuring of one celestial body over the other becomes visible. Madhya is the phase when the eclipse is at its peak when the disk is completely covered depending on the totality of the eclipse. Moksha is the phase when the eclipse starts receding and the shadow moves away from the celestial body that marks the end of the eclipse. Visibility of all the three phases generally depends on climatic conditions at the time of eclipse. In case of total eclipse (sampoorna grahana) both Sparsha and Moksha are visible. to be continued..... bhargavasarma.blogspot/2011/11/eclipse-terminology-faq-glossary.html
Posted on: Sun, 05 Oct 2014 08:11:44 +0000
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