The total solar eclipse is considered as one of the most impressive natural phenomena that occur on earth, although in some cultures, solar eclipses have been attributed to supernatural causes or regarded as bad omens. The total solar eclipse can be frightening to people who are not aware of astronomical explanation, as the sun seems to disappear and the dark sky in a few minutes.
The astronomers predicted the total solar eclipse will occur on March 9, 2016, most of the Pacific, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and other countries in Southeast Asia. In the Eastern Pacific Ocean, a total solar eclipse will occur for more than 4 minutes.
Australia, India and other countries will be able to witness a partial solar eclipse.
As seen from the earth, a solar eclipse is a type of eclipse that occurs when the moon passes between the sun and earth, and the moon fully or partially blocks (“occults”) the sun. This can happen only at new moon, when the sun and the moon are in conjunction as seen from earth in an alignment referred to as syzygy. In a total eclipse, the disk of the sun is fully obscured by the moon. In partial and annular eclipses, only part of the sun is obscured.
Never look directly at the sun without proper eye protection, even through sunglasses or dark material such as a bin liner or photographic negative, you can seriously hurt your eyes and even go blind.
To be able to enjoy the natural phenomenon of a total solar eclipse safely, we recommend you to attention to the following important things:
- Using any kind of pinhole projector, you should stand with your back towards the sun. DO NOT look at the Sun through the pinhole or through the paper.
- If you feel you must look directly at the sun, be absolutely sure that you have the correct filter. According to NASA, the following materials should never be used to view a solar eclipse: DO NOT use sunglasses, polaroid filters, smoked glass, exposed color film, x-ray film, or photographic neutral-density filters.
- DO NOT focus to the solar eclipse for a long time (do not more then a minute). The sun’s UV radiation can burn the retinas in the eyes leading to permanent damage or even blindness. This can occur even if your eyes are exposed to direct sunlight for just a few seconds.
- The lens of camera must also use the correct filter. Use your camera just to shoots the great moments of eclipse because the sunlight can damage your camera’s sensor.
- Pick a location that not obstructed by trees, buildings or other objects such as beaches or hills to get a perfect view of the total solar eclipse.
Do not take any chances. If you are unsure about the safety of a viewing device, talk to an expert first before using it.