Take your nose out of your phone and look up to the sky (safely) to witness a unique solar event taking place today (June 21) at 8.14am.
According to experts, here in the UAE we will witness a three-hour partial eclipse (86.31 per cent the sun will concealed by the moon) while some countries in the Middle East will be able to gaze on an annular eclipse.
“An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon is located between the earth and the sun, and its apparent diametre, is slightly smaller than the apparent diametre of the sun,” explains Mohammed Shawkat Awda, representative of the Abu Dhabi-based International Astronomical Centre.
The #UAE will witness a celestial phenomenon on Sunday 21st June: a Solar Eclipse will:
Begin at 08:14:47 A.M &
Ends at 11:12:04 A.M.
Capture an image & share it using #UAESolarEclipse. Please adhere to safety instructions during the eclipse. pic.twitter.com/iHDrG4F4fk— وكالةالإمارات للفضاء (@uaespaceagency) June 19, 2020
Occurring every two years, there are several ways you can watch the eclipse. The Dubai Astronomy Group will telecast live from Dubai; International Astronomical Center in Abu Dhabi will have their coverage live here; and Slooh website will also be covering the event on space.com but you can also catch it on their social media channels.
Remember to never look at the sun directly and use filtered sunglasses if you intend to do so.
