NEWS During the morning of Friday 20 March, a partial solar eclipse will take place over northern Sweden. The public will have the chance to experience this rare phenomenon at the Umevatoriet space observatory and planetarium.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and earth, and the moon fully or partially blocks the sun. In a partial solar eclipse, it appears as though the moon has taken a bite out of the sun.
The solar eclipse of 2015 will begin at approximately 9:58 and it will be most visible (when the sun is nearly darkened) at 11:04. The eclipse will conclude at 12:11.
The moon will cover approximately 80 per cent of the disk of the sun, which is greater than the last partial solar eclipse in January of 2011. The next time a similar solar eclipse over northern Sweden is expected to happen is in the year 2039.
Umevatoriet will be holding an open house with free admission during 9:00 and 12:30. There will be sandwiches and coffee available for purchase.
”We are hoping for clear skies, as we offer many ways to observe the solar eclipse, such as through our solar telescope,” says Marianne Eik, educator at Umeåvatoriet. “If it’s cloudy there will be viewings at the planetarium and live streaming.”
There is information in English at Umevatoriet’s website, including important warnings to avoid looking directly towards the sun. There is risk for permanent eye damage and regular sunglasses will not provide proper protection!
Editor: David Meyers