* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Partial solar eclipse - January 4 2011

Blobrana · L

The spectacle was witnessed in some places including Cambridge, but many Britons missed out.
However, elsewhere in the world it was clearly visible.
In countries such as Israel and Greece as well as Spain's Ibiza island, the Sun appeared to have a large bite taken out of it.
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Blobrana · L

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Blobrana · L

Tuesday will see the first partial solar eclipse of 2011.
People standing across a great swathe of the Earth's surface will see the Moon take a big bite out of the Sun.
For north Africa and much of Europe, the event starts at sunrise, whereas in central Russia and north-west China, the spectacle occurs at sunset.
North-east Sweden should get the best experience. At 0850 GMT, near the city of Skelleftea, the Moon will cover almost 90% of the Sun's diameter.
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Blobrana · L

On the morning of Tuesday, 4 January 2011, an eclipse of the Sun will be widely visible across Europe and as far east as India. People in Western Europe will find the Sun already eclipsed as the day begins, with the eclipse lasting about 80 minutes more. Even at a maximum, the eclipse will be only partial, with some of the Sun always visible. Because the Sun is too bright to look at safely, special solar filters or projection methods should always be used to protect the eyes.
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Blobrana · L

LIVE IMAGES OF THE MOON
From Peter Grego, St Dennis, Cornwall, UK

Partial eclipse of the Sun, 2011 January 4, 07:00-09:45 UT

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Blobrana · L

That dawn brings the first of the year's four partial solar eclipses, and the only one to be visible from the British mainland. The eclipse is already well under way as the Sun rises and we must be content with watching the Moon's disk withdraw from the Sun as the latter climbs slowly away from our south-eastern horizon.
For Edinburgh, the left-hand 42 per cent of the Sun's disk is hidden by the Moon as it rises at 08:43 and the eclipse ends when the Moon leaves the Sun at 09:34.
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Blobrana · L

Eye safety warning for January 4 partial eclipse
People should not look directly at the sun during a partial eclipse on Tuesday, the government's Chief Medical Officer has warned.
It can lead to permanent damage to eyesight or even blindness, said Dame Sally Davies.
Observing the eclipse through a telescope, binoculars, sunglasses, photographic film or camera is not safe, said The Department of Health.
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Blobrana · L

Scientists have said that Europe and India will witness a solar eclipse next year on 4th January.
In Western Europe, the Sun will be eclipsed as the day begins and will last about 80 minutes more. Even at its maximum, the eclipse will be only partial, with some of the everyday Sun still visible.
They caution that special solar filters or projection methods should always be used to protect the eyes while viewing the eclipse.
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Blobrana · L

A partial solar eclipse will occur on January 4, 2011. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partially obscuring Earth's view of the Sun. A partial solar eclipse occurs in the polar regions of the Earth when the center of the moon's shadow misses the earth.
The eclipse will be visible over most of Europe, the Arabian peninsula, North Africa and Western Asia.
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Eclipse times and magnitudes for various UK cities:

City	Max. eclipse	Obscuration	Magnitude	Eclipse ends
London	08:12	66.7%	74.7%	09:31
Norwich	08:14	68.9%	76.6%	09:34
Birmingham	08:20	64.4%	72.8%	09:30
Manchester	08:27	60.7%	69.7%	09:31
Glasgow	08:49	38.8%	50.4%	09:33