[Posted
Jan 25, 2009]Chinese New Year Annular Solar Eclipse
First eclipse of the year casts wide shadow
The year's first solar eclipse is set to occur on Monday, January 26 (UT), from 4:56:37 UT till 11:00:40 UT, with greatest eclipse at 7:58:38 UT for a duration of 7 minutes, 54 seconds.
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Duration: 7 min 54 sec
First contact begins: 04:56 UT (GMT)
At that time it will be:
Greatest Eclipse: 07:58:38 UT (GMT)
At that time it will be:
Final contact ends: 11:00 UT (GMT)
At that time it will be:
Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon February 9, 2009
First contact begins: 12:38 UT (GMT)
At that time it will be:
Greatest Eclipse: 14:38:14 UT (GMT)
At that time it will be:
Final contact ends: 16:37 UT (GMT)
At that time it will be:
The annular eclipse will be visible from a wide swath traversing the Indian Ocean and western Indonesia. The partial eclipse will be visible from a much wider area, from the southern third of Africa, Madagascar, Australia (except Tasmania), Southeast India, Southeast Asia and Indonesia.
Visit NASA's webpage (http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OH2009.html#2009Jan26A) for more detailed information. 
For the astrology buffs, Light on Vedic Astrology Sidereal Ephemeris for January 2009 shows that Sun and Moon, as well as Rahu are in Capricorn at this time. Mars, which is in Sagitarrius, is combust (close to Sun). Mercury and Jupiter are also in Capricorn. Venus is in Aquarius, Saturn is retrograde in Leo.
And two weeks later, on Feb 9th, 2009, most of the world will see the first lunar eclipse of the year, with the exception of the western half of Africa, western Europe, Greenland, east coast of the USA, Latin America and South America. The penumbral lunar eclipse will be visible from approximately 14:00 - 15:20 UT, though it begins at 12:38:46 UT and ends at 16:37:40 UT, with greatest eclipse at 14:38:15 UT. For more details, visit the NASA webpage (http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OH2009.html#2009Jan26A).
At the time of eclipse, moon will be traversing through Cancer, where it meets up with Ketu, according to Light on Vedic Astrology Sidereal Ephemeris for February 2009.
What does this mean for the world? We invite astrologers to come forward with their predictions and comments.
The Vedas regard eclipses as portents of calamities, and through the ages disasters both natural and political have been blamed on eclipses, but whether an eclipse is the cause of bad fortune or merely the indicator for it is a matter of controversy.
In days long ago, people all over the world have tried to counter the evil influences of eclipses by shutting themselves indoors and beating on gongs, pots and pans, and observing various proscriptions. The Vedic tradition, however, is to assemble with others in holy places of pilgrimage and chant the holy names of God: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. We read in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that 5,000 years ago, sometime after the battle of Kurukshetra (the Mahabharata war), the Pandavas and the Yadus made pilgrimage to Kurukshetra to take bath in the holy water there to mark a solar eclipse. It was then and there that the cowherd residents of Vrindaban met up with Krishna again after many years absence. And in Chaitanya-charitamrita we learn that some 500 years ago Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared at the hour of a lunar eclipse. At such times, the people immersed themselves in the Ganges and other holy rivers, loudly vibrating the sacred maha-mantra.
There is nothing good or bad in and of itself, for everything originates with the Absolute Truth. For everything there is a purpose—in the service of Krishna. On the platform of Krishna consciousness, anything can and must be used for Krishna—and that is its perfection. On the other hand, when something is taken or used separate from Krishna, then it is subject to karmic reactions, no matter how morally good it might seem to be. In this way, devotees take the opportunity to transform an inauspicious event into an auspicious occasion, invoking the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His incarnation as the holy name. For the devotee, there is nothing to fear in the presence of Krishna.
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Sri Guru and Gauranga
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