Astronomical Event 2014: Know More About ‘Rare’ Solar Eclipse Visible in Australia on April 29; How, When And Where to Best View it
Mark your calendars. A "rare" solar eclipse will take place on April 29, which will make the sun appear like a "ring of fire."
The eclipse will not be visible to most parts of the world, but stargazers in Australia will partially view this solar eclipse.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon gradually passes between the earth and the sun. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon is farthest away from the Earth, Space.com cited. This makes the moon so small and unable to blanket the sun completely, making the sun look like "ring of fire," also known as "annulus."
While most parts of the world will miss out on the opportunity to witness this spectacular astronomical event, Antarctica will be able to see this annular solar eclipse. Only partial phases of the eclipse will be visible in Australia.
Universetoday.com explained the 2014's second eclipse and first solar eclipse will take place "over a small D-shaped 500-kilometer" area in the Antarctica.
This is a rare opportunity for skywatchers as 2014 has only four eclipses, including two partial solar eclipses and two total lunar eclipses. The publication suggested this celestial event is a "rarity" because "it's non-central eclipse with one limit."
"That is, the center of the Moon's shadow - known as the antumbra during an annular eclipse - will juuuust miss the Earth and instead pass scant kilometers above the Antarctic continent," read the explanation on the Web site.
In the previous year, an eclipse occurred on May 10, 2013 and was visible in Australia and next it would be seen in the U.S. on Oct. 14, 2023.
Meanwhile, Space.com explained where and when to best view the "ring of fire" solar eclipse in Australia. The celestial event will take place in the afternoon of April 29 and be best seen from Tasmania. It begins at 3:51 pm (0551 GMT). The maximum eclipse will be visible at 5 p.m. (0700 GMT).
The eclipse will start at 4:14 p.m. in Sydney and will reach its peak at 5:15 p.m. Skygazers in Perth can view the event from 1.17 p.m. (0517 GMT). It will reach its peak at 2:42 p.m. (0642 GMT) and will end at 3:59 p.m. (0759 GMT).
The Web site also said some methods to view the April 29 solar eclipse and issues a word of advice. To avoid any eye damage, it is suggested to not to look at the sun directly during solar eclipse or use special solar filters only available at places specializing in such items.
Best way to view this astronomical phenomenon is by projecting the image of the solar eclipse or with the help of pinhole camera or with the help of a small mirror that can be placed at window shelf to create an image at the ceiling or wall of the room.