Residents in the UAE will witness a rare celestial phenomenon on the morning of 21 June: a partial solar eclipse. This will be marked by an 86.31% coverage of the disc of the sun by the moon that will be visible in the UAE sky.
It will begin at 08:14:47 local time when the moon will begin moving in front of the sun. The eclipse will be over at 11:12:04.
Hasan Al Hariri, CEO Dubai Astronomy Group, advises the public to observe this amazing celestial event with precautions. He says this is an opportunity for us to understand the space science and movement of objects surrounding the earth. This level of coverage of solar disc will not be seen in the next 25 years.
- DON’T ever look at the Sun without proper eye protection
- DON’T view the Sun through sunglasses of any type (single or multiple pairs)
- DON’T fit any filter to a telescope without FIRST checking it thoroughly for damage
- DON’T look at the Sun with filters made from photographic film, or any combination of photographic filters, crossed polarizers
- DON’T look at the Sun with gelatin filters, CDs, CD-ROMs, or smoked glass
- If you are not certain that a filter is approved and safe, or you have any other doubts, DON’T USE IT
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View the Sun ONLY through special filter glasses made specifically for safe solar viewing
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While using the solar eclipse glasses, first position yourself towards the east direction, put the glasses on your eyes then turn towards the sun to observe the eclipse
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Use only metallic body telescopes and eye pieces to observe the eclipse. Don’t use plastic ones