October solar eclipse visible here

An annular solar eclipse on October 3 will be visible in Africa Europe and Asia. The moon will turn the sun into a dramatic ring of fire in this eclipse. This occurs when the moon passes directly in front of the sun but appears too small to block it entirely from the view, said Dr. Chandana Jayaratne, senior lecturer in Physics, University of Colombo and Consultant on Astronomy to the Arthur C Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies.

Only the latter part of the eclipse will be visible to Sri Lankans close to the sun set as a partial solar eclipse. The eclipse will start at 4:55 p.m. Sri Lankan time and visible till the sun sets. About half of the solar disk is eclipsed at its maximum at 6:07 p.m. Sri Lankans will be able to observe its maximum but not its end. Viewers in the western coastal areas of Sri Lanka will have a better opportunity to observe this eclipse.

Observers can view the Arthur C Clarke Institute telescope observations through www.accimt.ac.lk website from 4.55 p.m. Looking at the sun through naked eyes (with or without an eclipse) is harmful and may cause full or partial blindness, Dr. Jayaratne said.