Pakistan

Last big celestial event of the year - the ring of fire

Here's a list of solar eclipse duration and viewing time for Pakistan

News Desk December 26, 2019

The moon passes between the sun and the earth during an annular solar eclipse in Madinat Zayed in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. PHOTO: REUTERS

The last big celestial event of the year, the annular solar eclipse was visible in parts of Pakistan early Thursday.

The eclipse began at 7:30 am, peaked at 8:37 am and can be viewed till 1:06 pm.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the celestial event would be most visible in Karachi and Gwadar. The world over, as per PMD, the solar eclipse would descend upon eastern Europe, northern and western Australia, eastern Africa, Pacific and Indian oceans, and much of Asia.

The moon passes between the sun and the earth during an annular solar eclipse in Madinat Zayed in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. PHOTO: REUTERS

The moon passes between the sun and the earth during an annular solar eclipse in Madinat Zayed in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. PHOTO: REUTERS

The PMD issued a list of the duration of the eclipse across Pakistan.

eclipse

Source: PMD

What is a solar eclipse?

A solar eclipse is when the moon passes directly between the sun and the Earth. According to Accu Weather, the distance between the moon and the Earth at the moment of the eclipse dictates the type of the eclipse that can be viewed. The moon, however, does not always block out the entire sun.

Why is it called a ring of fire?

The term ‘ring of fire’ was coined seeing the bright ring of sunlight around the moon at the height of the annular solar eclipse.

Safety precautions

If you’re planning to view the ring of fire, then make sure to do it with proper eye protection. Viewing the sun directly can cause major damage to your eyes – which may even be permanent.

In some cases, a pair of sunglasses is also not enough to curtail the big star’s harmful rays.

A solar filter or a special pair of eclipse glasses designed for safe viewing of a solar eclipse would be recommended.

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