Solar eclipse on Sunday
Namibians can experience a partial solar eclipse on Sunday afternoon. The partial eclipse will first be seen in Windhoek and then further north.
Dr Rhodri Evans from Cardiff University explains that the degree of the eclipse will vary depending on where people watch it from.
“We will experience a partial eclipse in Windhoek and the percentage of the eclipse will be 69% and more than two thirds of the sun will be blocked up. If you are at the border near Angola it will be 80%,” Evans says.
The eclipse in Windhoek will begin at 17:10 and end at 19:15.
Evans warns people not to look at the sun directly.
“Never look at the sun directly or through any kind of viewing device such as a camera or binoculars without the correct filtration, it can be quite dangerous.”
The safest way to watch an eclipse is to make a pinhole in a piece of paper, point it towards the sun and then project the image onto another piece of paper.
“An eclipse is when the moon comes between the earth and the sun, so the shadow of the moon falls on the earth and if you happen to be where that shadow is it will turn completely dark in a few minutes,” he explains.
Windhoekers who want to watch the eclipse can visit the Roof of Africa Hotel, Restaurant & Conference Centre, where equipment will be set up for the public to view the eclipse.
“The astronomers at the University of Namibia are going to set up a public observance and we will be setting up telescopes with the correct filtration so people can look at it safely.
From around 16:30 we will be getting things set up for the eclipse,” Evans says.
According to Dr Evans the next total solar eclipse will be seen in Windhoek on 25 November 2030.
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Dr Rhodri Evans from Cardiff University explains that the degree of the eclipse will vary depending on where people watch it from.
“We will experience a partial eclipse in Windhoek and the percentage of the eclipse will be 69% and more than two thirds of the sun will be blocked up. If you are at the border near Angola it will be 80%,” Evans says.
The eclipse in Windhoek will begin at 17:10 and end at 19:15.
Evans warns people not to look at the sun directly.
“Never look at the sun directly or through any kind of viewing device such as a camera or binoculars without the correct filtration, it can be quite dangerous.”
The safest way to watch an eclipse is to make a pinhole in a piece of paper, point it towards the sun and then project the image onto another piece of paper.
“An eclipse is when the moon comes between the earth and the sun, so the shadow of the moon falls on the earth and if you happen to be where that shadow is it will turn completely dark in a few minutes,” he explains.
Windhoekers who want to watch the eclipse can visit the Roof of Africa Hotel, Restaurant & Conference Centre, where equipment will be set up for the public to view the eclipse.
“The astronomers at the University of Namibia are going to set up a public observance and we will be setting up telescopes with the correct filtration so people can look at it safely.
From around 16:30 we will be getting things set up for the eclipse,” Evans says.
According to Dr Evans the next total solar eclipse will be seen in Windhoek on 25 November 2030.
STAFF REPORTER
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