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Last week we witnessed a great astronomical event, the total lunar eclipse that is part of four lunar eclipses called a tetrad. Stargazers enjoyed the event but some religious fanatics interpreted it as a sign of the apocalypse because the moon was seen as being dark red. The next important astronomical event will be the solar eclipse on the 29th of April that will make the sun look like a ring of fire. Unfortunately not many people will be able to see it.
Lunar eclipses happen when there is a full moon. Solar eclipses happen when there is a new moon. When there is a lunar eclipse, it usually announces a solar eclipse at the following new moon. The sun will look like a ring of fire above some remote parts of the world next Tuesday (April 29) during a solar eclipse, but most people around the world won’t get a chance to see it.
The Next Solar Eclipse Is On The 29th of April – it’s not a total eclipse
The next solar eclipse on the 29th of April will be what is known as an annular eclipse, not a total one. This happens because the moon is close to its farthest distance from our planet. This makes it too small to cover the sun in its entirety. The resulting effect is called an annulus and it makes the sun look like a ring of fire.
Unfortunately, most people will not see the whole eclipse because the only place where it will be completely visible is in a small area of Antarctica. However, all is not lost because some areas like Australia will get a pretty good view. The best view of the new solar eclipse will be in Tasmania. In Sydney, the eclipse begins at around 4 pm and Australians will get to see the sun covered for about 52%.
As you know, solar eclipses should not be watched without special tools because they can really damage the eyes. The safest way to look at a solar eclipse is to project the image of the sun. You can do that using a pinhole camera. Don’t attempt to look directly into the sun without a solar protective filter. You can get them from planetariums, telescope stores and science centers. Do not try to look at the solar eclipse using a telescope or through binoculars because you can seriously hurt your eyes.
If you happen to be in an area where the solar eclipse is visible, please send pictures in the comment section below.
