Partial Eclipse of the Sun Thursday 7 February

This was posted to another list I’m on, and thought people might like to know about this.

Partial Eclipse of the Sun Thursday 7 February

A partial eclipse of the sun will be visible from all parts of New Zealand on 7 February 2008. These events occur when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, but does not completely block our view of the Sun. In Auckland the partial eclipse starts at 4.48 p.m. when the sun is half way up the sky in the west and finishes about two hours later at 6.51 p.m. At the time of maximum eclipse (5.52 p.m.) 47% of the Sun will be covered as seen from Auckland. Maximum eclipse will occur in Christchurch at 5.37 p.m. when 53% of the sun's face will be covered by the Moon. The times are similar for other parts of the country.

It is absolutely essential to use a safe method of viewing the sun in order to watch the eclipse. Looking at the sun directly, or through a camera, binoculars or telescope can cause permanent damage, including the possibility of blindness. One safe method of watching an eclipse is to project the sun's image onto a screen, through a telescope or a pin-hole camera, to watch it in real-time like a movie.

The last good partial solar eclipse was 22 August 1998 and the next opportunity will not be until 14 November 2012.

For further details contact Stardome Observatory on (09) 624 1246 or visit http://www.stardome.org.nz