The summer sunshine in Cyprus will be temporarily disrupted by a partial solar eclipse happening this Friday 1 August. The eclipse will affect a large area of western and central Asia, northern Europe and Greenland, but in Cyprus the sun will only have 3% of its visible surface eclipsed. This (very) partial eclipse should be visible between 1.30pm and 2pm on Friday, if visibility is good.
To see the total solar eclipse, you’ll need to travel to some far-flung locations. The islands of Resolute, and Prince of Wales Island in the Northwest Passage in Canada should experience a total eclipse for just under 2.5 minutes, before the effect passes around the ‘top’ of the globe over Russia. Almost in time for the Olympics (how auspicious is that?), the eclipse will end at the town of Pingdingshan in China’s Xian province (home to the famous Terracotta Army).
Remember, never look directly at the sun to view an eclipse. As the Nasa web site says, and they should know: “Partial eclipses, annular eclipses, and the partial phases of total eclipses are never safe to watch without taking special precautions. Do not attempt to observe the partial or annular phases of any eclipse with the naked eye. Failure to use appropriate filtration may result in permanent eye damage or blindness!”
All you need to view the eclipse safely on your holiday in Cyprus is two A5 pieces of white paper or card, to create a pinhole camera. Punch a small hole in the centre of the first card and position it so the sun shines through it. Now hold the second piece of card around three feet in the shadow below the first piece, so the Sun’s image is seen projected onto the second piece. As the solar eclipse occurs, you will see the whole process projected onto the second card in minature. For clearer visibility, you can stick the first card on a window, and then draw your Cyprus holiday villa or hotel curtains around it to increase the visible effect on the second piece of card.
Alternatively, just sit back and enjoy your Cyprus meze lunch instead. Solar eclipses happen up to five times a year, so there is probably another one due before Christmas - somewhere!
The partial solar eclipse visible in Cyprus will end in the Xian province of China, home to the famous Terracotta Army. Photo by Frenkieb at flickr.com.
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