ECLIPSE OF SUN TODAY

Southland Times, Issue 23946, 12 October 1939, Page 6

ECLIPSE OF SUN TODAY

OCCURRENCE EARLY IN MORNING

The sun will be totally eclipsed today, but unfortunately New Zealand will see the phenomenon only as a partial eclipse. As nearly two-thirds of the sun’s disk will be obscured by the moon, however, the eclipse should not be without interest provided the weather allows it to be peen. The area where the eclipse will be a total one is in the vicinity of the South Pole; hence the total phase of the eclipse is not likely to be seen by anyone except a few non-comprehending penguins. The maximum .phase of the eclipse will be reached at approximately 7.56 a.m., at which time .65 of the sun’s disk, or a little over one-half, will be obscured. The partial eclipse will continue until about 8.51 a.m. when the “all clear” signal will be given. The obscuration of nearly two-thirds of the sun will make a perceptible difference to the amount of sunlight reaching Invercargill, but it will not approach anything like the eerie darkness which characterizes a total eclipse. Just over a fortnight later, on Saturday, October 28, the position of two out of the three heavenly bodies involved in the eclipse will be reversed; the earth will be between the sun and moon, instead of the moon being between the earth and the sun The earth’s shadow impinging on the moon will cause a partial eclipse of the lastnamed body, and the phenomenon will be partly visible in Invercargill. Viewing the eclipse of the sun without glasses may cause serious injury to the eyes. A smbked glass should always be used by a person watching an eclipse.