There’s a partial Solar Eclipse taking place today, February 15, 2018. However, 2018 will not see any total solar eclipse events. There will be another partial Solar eclipse in August 2018, though this one will not be visible in India either. The eclipse takes place after the rare ‘Super Blue Blood Moon’ from January 31, though that was visible in India and most other parts of the world. So what is this partial solar eclipse and where all is it visible? Here’s everything you need to know.
Where is this partial Solar eclipse for 2018 going to be visible?
First, India is not getting to see the partial Solar eclipse, so don’t get too excited. It is visible in South America and in Antarctica. According to a map shared by NASA, the countries in the list include parts of Argentina, Brazil, Chile Paraguay and all of Uruguay. The next Partial solar eclipse is on July 13 and then there is one on August 11. Neither will be visible in India.
When will India see a solar eclipse?
The next total solar eclipse is going to take place on July 2, 2019, which will be visible in South Pacific and South America. This total solar eclipse will not be visible in India. However, there will be an annular Solar Eclipse on December 26,2019, which will be visible in India. In the annular solar eclipse, the moon is farthest from the Earth and does not cover the entire sun, but appears like a small disk on the sun’s surface. Still this annular solar eclipse is nearly two years away for India.
Will there be a livestream for the partial solar eclipse 2018?
So far, NASA has not tweeted about any live stream for the partial Solar eclipse of 2018. Those who are interested will have to keep a watch on NASA’s YouTube, Twitter handle. However, NASA has shared images of a solar eclipse they observed in Space on February 11, for those who want to check this out.
What are the timings of partial solar eclipse 2018?
According to a report on Time.com, which quotes Ernie Wright who is a programmer in the Scientific Visualization Studio at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the eclipse will start at 6.36 pm in Brazil local time. In Antarctica, it will between 8 pm and 9 pm. However, if one goes by the Brazil time, then it is nearly 2.00 AM in India on February 16.
Can partial eclipses be seen with the naked eye?
So a partial eclipse is when the Sun, Moon and Earth are not exactly lined up as they would be in a total solar eclipse. The moon is only able to block out a part of the Sun’s rays from reaching the Earth. NASA’s advise on seeing an eclipse with the naked eye remains the same: Do NOT do it, it can damage the eyes. According to NASA, the Sun can be viewed safely with the naked eye only during the few brief seconds in a total solar eclipse.
However in partial and annual eclipses, no one should ever look at the sun without protecting the eyes. It can lead to permanent blindness or eye damage in some cases and only special filters should be used for this purpose, says the space agency. The filter needs to have a “thin layer of aluminum, chromium or silver deposited on their surfaces,” says NASA. Medical x-ray, black and white films are not safe either. In a Solar eclipse, eyes are damaged due to invisible infrared wavelengths, warns NASA and people should avoid all risks.