Solar Eclipse 2020: Will this be visible to us in Seychelles? |19 June 2020
The deepest shaded area shows the part of the world where the eclipse will be fully visible; the lightest shaded area which includes Seychelles, shows where the eclipse will be partially visible
This coming Sunday morning, a partial solar eclipse will be visible in Seychelles; this will be an annular solar eclipse and not a total solar eclipse which will also be visible to most African countries, the Middle East and most of Asia.
As the moon moves between Earth and the Sun, the moon’s shadow will not be big enough to cover the entire planet; it will only cover a part of the world, including Seychelles.
This astronomical event will be visible to Seychelles from around 8am until around 10am and we are told to try and look towards the East. According to the weather forecast, it should be a clear, sunny day in Seychelles with a few clouds, meaning we will have favourable conditions to observe this phenomenon.
An annular solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, covering the Sun's centre, and leaving the Sun's visible outer edges to form a “ring of fire” around the Moon. There are other types of solar eclipses; the most common however, and the one which has the biggest ‘wow’ factor, is the total solar eclipse.
While only a partial annular solar eclipse will be visible in Seychelles, it is still worth making the time to have a look at because there will not be another that will be visible to us for many years to come. The next will be a total solar eclipse on August 2, 2027 and this will be partly visible to us.
Be careful; we are told never to look directly into the Sun as the rays can cause permanent damage to the eyes.
Tips on how to safely view a Solar Eclipse
Try one of these methods:
- Projecting the Sun’s light: A projector will allow you to view the Sun without looking at it directly. You can try making a projector easily using common household items.
How to make a Simple Card Projector
What you will need:
- 2 pieces of stiff white cardboard, e.g. 2 paper plates or alternatively, 2 sheets of plain white paper
- a thumbtack, a sharp pin, or a needle
What to Do:
- To make a quick version of the pinhole projector, take a sheet of paper and make a tiny hole in the middle of it using a pin or a thumbtack. Make sure that the hole is round and smooth.
- With your back towards the Sun, hold 1 piece of paper above your shoulder allowing the Sun to shine on the paper.
- The 2nd sheet of paper will act as a screen. Hold it at a distance, and you will see an inverted image of the Sun projected on the paper screen through the pinhole.
- To make the image of the Sun larger, hold the screen paper further away from the paper with the pinhole.
- Filtering the Sun’s light: Use eclipse glasses or other approved solar filters. Note that cracks or scratches can make filters unsafe to use, so it is important to always make sure that they are intact.
Note: Do not use the following as eye protection when viewing the Sun:
- Telescopes, binoculars, or cameras without specialised Sun filters.
- Sunglasses of any kind, even if you wear multiple pairs.
- Color film.
- Medical X-ray film.
- Smoked glass.
- Floppy disks.
Compiled by F.P
Reference: timeanddate.com
