By- Dr. R. A. Turrai Raaj - Singapore Astro-Numerologist Extraordinaire Ph.D. Psychology M.Sc. Mathematics (Honors) B.Sc. Business Management (Honors)

There are two types of Eclipses, Solar and Lunar. According to NASA, there are six events scheduled for 2011. Please convert to your time zone as required.

We have already experienced one event as a Partial Solar Eclipse on 4th January 2011. Five more to go for the rest of the year with the next one scheduled on 1st June 2011!

History & Mythology Of Eclipses

It is said that the Solar Eclipse (Surya Grahan) occurs because Rahu & Ketu, two Demons of Indian Mythology, swallow the Sun and the Lunar Eclipse (Chandra Grahan) takes place when Rahu & Ketu gobble up the Moon. Surya and Chandra then fight to free themselves from their clutches and people pray to the Supreme God (usually, Vishnu or Shiva) for the early release of their Sun or Moon God and do not eat anything as their God is in pain and in danger. It is also traditional to make a lot of noise in the open during an Eclipse to "chase or scare away the dragon (Rahu & Ketu)" that is swallowing the Sun or Moon.

Mythology claims this story: In a war between the Devas (Gods/Angels) and the Daityas/Asuras (Demons), the Gods lost the war. They prayed to Vishnu to rescue them from the oppression of the Demons. Vishnu told Brahma and the other Gods that they should have a temporary truce with the Demons. The two sides should get together to churn the ocean. Secretly, Vishnu would ensure that the Devas benefited more from this churning of the ocean than the Daityas did. The truce was agreed upon and the two sides got ready to churn the ocean.