Solar eclipse to be visible from Shanghai
A partial solar eclipse may be observed by residents in Shanghai.
An annular solar eclipse may be observed by people in Xiamen.
City residents may be able to view a partial solar eclipse on June 21.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes in front of the sun and casts a shadow on the Earth. In a total eclipse, the sun is fully obscured. In partial and annular eclipses, only part of the sun is covered.
In Shanghai, the phenomenon is likely to take place between 2:45pm and 5:16pm on June 21, when the sun will remain partially visible as a crescent shape, according to Tang Haiming of the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory.
The eclipse is expected to sweep over Tibet, Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, Taiwan and other regions. South China will witness an annular eclipse, which forms a “ring of fire.” In Xiamen especially, only 0.6 percent of the sun’s diameter will be visible, Tang said.
However, sightings will depend on weather conditions, Tang said, with the possibility that rain or clouds will obscure the effect.
The safe ways to observe a solar eclipse are: directly with special eclipse glasses and indirectly by looking at the eclipse using a pinhole viewer or telescope projection. It’s not safe to look at the eclipse directly through a telescope or by wearing sunglasses, Tang said.
