ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka will experience a partial solar eclipse, where the moon passes between the Sun and the Earth casting a shadow over sections of the planet on Sunday June 21, which will be bigger in the North of the island.
Sri Lanka north would see 24 percent of the Sun shaded by the moon while about 15 percent will be shaded in Colombo and the suburbs, Director of the Planetarium K. Arunu Prabha Perera said.
The eclipse will be visible from around 10.24 am in Sri Lanka.
The climax of the eclipse in the Jaffna region will be at about 11.54 while it will be around 11.51 am. in Colombo, Perera said.
“It is requested not to observe the solar eclipse using sun glasses, glasses darkened with ashes or X – ray sheets but recommended to use only the No. 14 welding glasses and glasses used especially for observing solar eclipse,” Perera said.
“The public is herewith strictly advised not to observe this partial solar eclipse with naked eyes.”
America’s National Aeronautical and Space Administration has released the following animation of how the eclipse occurs over North American.
NASA gives the following advice on how to watch the eclipse.
1) Projection: The safest and most inexpensive way to watch a partial solar eclipse is by projection. Place a pinhole or small opening in a card, and hold it between the sun and a screen – giant sheet of white paper works – a few feet away. An image of the sun will be seen on the screen. Projected images of the sun’s crescent during an eclipse may even be seen on the ground in the small openings created by interlacing fingers, or in the dappled sunlight beneath a leafy tree. You can also use binoculars to project a magnified image of the sun on a white card. However, you must never look through the binoculars at the sun.
2) Filters: The sun can be viewed directly only when using filters specifically designed for this purpose. Such filters usually have a thin layer of aluminum, chromium or silver deposited on their surfaces. One of the most widely available filters for safe eclipse viewing is a #14 (or darker) welder’s glass. A welding glass that permits you to see the landscape is not safe. Aluminized mylar manufactured specifically for solar observation can also be used. Mylar can easily be cut with scissors and adapted to any kind of box or viewing device. Only use filters that you know have been approved for solar viewing.
Unsafe filters include color film, some non-silver black and white film, medical x-ray films with images on them, smoked glass, photographic neutral density filters and polarizing filters. Solar filters designed to thread into eyepieces, which are often sold with inexpensive telescopes are also dangerous.
3) Telescopes with solar filters: There are sun-specific telescopes available for sale — or perhaps through a local astronomy club — that are also safe for viewing a partial eclipse.
