A partial solar eclipse will travel through the northern hemisphere

AFP, Posted on Tuesday 08 June 2021 at 11:31

A solar eclipse will pass through the northern hemisphere sky on Thursday, about 500 km from Canada to Siberia via Europe, which is only partially but dangerous to the eyes.

At the peak of this so-called annual eclipse, the Earth will see the Moon slowly slide in front of the Sun, turning it into a thin glowing ring for a few minutes, like a “circle of fire” in the June sky.

An event reserved for a few people living in the highest latitudes, they are right on the axis: at the northwest of Canada, northwest of Russia, northwest and north pole of Greenland, the solar disk disappears at 87.8%, according to the Paris-PSL Laboratory.

Annual eclipses are also visible, but only partially, in northwestern North America, much of Europe, and part of the north, including France and Great Britain. From Asia.

At these latitudes, and if the sky is clear, astronomers can observe a portion of the sun hidden by the moon’s black disk, 20% in London, 16% in Lille, 13.2% in Paris, 5.5% in Toulouse and 2.8% in Marseille …. “As we head southeast , Less ambiguity will be important “, explained AFP Florent Telef, a laboratory in Paris, which will broadcast the event live – and closely – on its YouTube channel.

The eclipse lasts about two hours, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., on the mainland of France, with a maximum of 11:55 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. The astronomer says it may not be “very spectacular” in these latitudes, but it is interesting to observe.

However, it is imperative not to look directly at the star through sunglasses or even through the cloud. “Retinal burns cannot be replaced,” the expert recalled.

Those who are most interested should protect themselves with glasses sold at astronomy stores (beware of used eclipse glasses) or use the methods used by amateur astronomers.

This can be thought of indirectly, in floor planning, using a piece of perforated cardboard or a skateboard.

This is the first annual eclipse of 2021 and the sixteenth eclipse of the 21st century. This astronomical event occurs during the new moon, when the Earth, Moon and Sun are exactly aligned.

If the apparent diameter of the moon is less than that of the sun, part of the crown of fire is visible. A total eclipse, in which a part of the planet is briefly plunged into darkness, occurs when the diameter of the moon corresponds exactly to that of the Sun as seen from Earth. This event, rare, is notable from August 1999 in France.