Overview of solar eclipse of 21st June 2020 and its impact on solar irradiance, surface ozone and different meteorological parameters over eight cities of India

Abstract

• First time study of annular solar eclipse effect simultaneously at eight stations of India. • Stations are located nearly perpendicular to the eclipse axis with magnitude 98.6% to 77.2%. • Substantial reduction in solar radiation, surface ozone & temperature is evident. • Atmospheric cooling from eclipse induced dynamical changes to the meteorological parameters. The present study is aimed to investigate the variation in solar radiance, surface ozone, temperature, relative humidity and wind velocity during the most recent and one of the most significant annular solar eclipses of 21st June 2020. Effects of solar eclipse have been analyzed first time at eight different cities of India located nearly perpendicular to the eclipse axis having an eclipse magnitude from 98.6 % to 77.2 %. Significant reductions in solar irradiance at different stations were found during the maximum phase of the solar eclipse due to the occultation of the Sun by the Moon. With the progression of the solar eclipse, surface ozone concentrations were also found to be decreasing and reached to its minimum value during the maximum phase of eclipse and then after the end of the eclipse started regaining their original behavior. Overall, the change in ozone was found to be proportional to eclipse magnitude. A decrease of ozone levels ranged from 30 % to 65 % over all the stations. In addition to the above, atmospheric cooling from the solar eclipse of 21st June 2020 induced dynamical changes to the meteorological parameters (temperature, relative humidity and wind speed) with the change being most prominent during the maximum phase of the solar eclipse.