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Al Ain: People in the UAE will witness a solar eclipse this Friday and a lunar eclipse on August 16. Both eclipses can only be viewed partially in the country, said astronomers.
The solar eclipse will start at 2.41pm in the UAE and end at 4.11pm (in Dubai), reaching its peak at 3.28pm, said Hasan Ahmad Al Hariri, president of Dubai Astronomy Group.
A maximum of 12.79 per cent will be seen in the UAE at the peak time of the eclipse. He said there would be a few minutes variation in the time in other parts of the UAE.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a total solar eclipse will take place on August 1 and will only be visible from a narrow corridor that traverses half the earth.
The sun will be completely covered from an area stretching from the north-eastern part of North America to Greenland, the North Pole, Russia, Mongolia and China, it will be sen as partially blocked from the UAE.
“Compared with other East Asian countries, people in the emirates will have only a partial view of both eclipses,” said Al Hariri.
Al Hariri warned people to not look at the Sun.
“They must remember that it is always dangerous and they must take precautions to view the eclipse safely,” he added.
He said solar eclipses take place when the Earth, Moon and Sun are aligned and the shadow of the Moon touches the surface of the Earth. Solar eclipses, he said, have been observed throughout human history.
Ancient records of eclipse have been made in China and Babylonia. Scientists believe that the oldest available records were made more than 4,000 years ago. In all regions, people have associated different myths and rituals with the solar and lunar eclipse.
Al Hariri said he had been receiving calls from people in different countries, including the UAE, with people asking about the effects of the eclipse.
“It has no dangerous impact on human beings,” he said, adding many people associate superstitions with this natural phenomenon.
Doctors and astronomers, however, on Monday warned people to not look directly into the Sun as it can burn their eyes.
“The Sun simply outputs more power than our eye is designed to handle and exposing our eye to that power can damage the retina,” said Dr Ziaul Hassan, a physician in Al Ain.
He said the safest way to see the eclipse is by projecting the Sun’s image on a screen. He said many people attempt to see the phenomenon through pieces of medical X-ray films, colour films, and smoked glass.
“They must note that they are all unsafe for viewing the solar eclipse,” he said.
What myths have you heard of regarding solar eclipses? Do you follow any superstitious beliefs? Have you ever viewed a solar eclipse? What precautions did you take?
Your comments
In 1992 there was a solar eclipse throughout India. Back then, I watched the eclipse without any eye protection. After that my parents told me that it is very dangerous to do that. In some cultures, it is believed to seriously harm a pregnant women?s health.
S. Z. Ali
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: July 30, 2008, 14:38
Some people are completely convinced that this phenomenon holds bad luck for them. In my opinion, it is nothing more than a natural phenomenon; the moon passes between the earth and the sun for a couple of moments.
Huda Asghar Khan
Ajman,UAE
Posted: July 30, 2008, 09:11
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