ShekouDaily | December 26, 2019
Great news! People across multiple countries will have a chance to experience the last major astronomical event of the year, today, December 26th!
Eclipse track
According to Shi Zhicheng, a member of the Chinese Astronomical Society and a member of the Tianjin Astronomical Society, the solar eclipse will start at 10:29:50 on the 26th Beijing time and will end at 16:05:43, lasting more than 5 hours. The eclipse track starts in the Middle East, passes through the southern tip of India and Sri Lanka, and enters Southeast Asia; including Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia, and finally ends in the Western Pacific.
The average width of the eclipse belt is about 115 kilometers. The total solar eclipse will be visible for about 3 minutes and 40 seconds.
Today’s weather
As of 7:30 a.m. Dec. 26th: Cloudy with mist or haze; temperature: 18-25° C; Northly wind: 4-5; Relative humidity: 45%-85%.
When to Watch in Shenzhen
- 12:16 first contact
- 13:54 height
- 15:21 final contact
Observation of partial eclipse reminder
- Solar eclipses should not be observed directly with the naked eye or through telescopes, otherwise the eyes will be burned by strong sunlight.
- Daily sunglasses can only be used to observe the scenery in daylight, not directly to observe the sun.
- Methods for safe observation of solar eclipse: special solar eclipse glasses, pin-hole shadow technique, or watching TV, webcast.
Photographing an eclipse
For those interested in taking photos of the event, visit NASA’s website for some great tips on doing so:
- https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/eclipsePhoto.html
- https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/five-tips-from-nasa-for-photographing-the-total-solar-eclipse-on-aug-21
Here is one of my favorites from their tips:
NASA photographer Bill Ingalls recommends focusing on the human experience of watching the eclipse. “The real pictures are going to be of the people around you pointing, gawking and watching it,” Ingalls noted. “Those are going to be some great moments to capture to show the emotion of the whole thing.”
If you aren’t in town to watch it, don’t worry, there will be another eclipse that will sweep across China on June 21st of next year!
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