By Jonews Reporter
JOHANNESBURG residents wanting to see the solar eclipse need not go to Limpopo - they can still get a spectacular view from anywhere around the city.
According to Claire Flanagan, director and astronomer at the Johannesburg Planetarium, people will be able to get a good view from right here in the city. In Johannesburg, says Flanagan, we won't get totality, but we will be able to see 89% of the eclipse.
During the partial solar eclipse, only a portion of the sun will be obscured by the moon.
The eclipse will be seen from 7:18am to 9:38am on Wednesday. Around 8:24am the eclipse will be at its zenith. "People need to be very careful to protect their eyes," she adds. Those failing to wear eye protectors, like eclipse viewers, stand a good chance of damaging their eyes, warns Flanagan. Eclipse viewers can be obtained at the Johannesburg Planetarium at the University of the Witwatersrand as well as at the Johannesburg Hospital.
The planetarium gave alternatives to those without eclipse viewers who want to view the eclipse - for example, fold up at least two layers of the silver foil wrapping Five Roses teabags and look through that - but only briefly, not more than 10 seconds at a time.
Sunglasses are not acceptable gear, according to the Planetarium, nor is it advisable to look through a camera at the sun. And whatever device they are using to see the eclipse, viewers are advised to wait for five minutes before viewing again.
A party will be held at the Planetarium on Wednesday from 7:15am where people can come together and enjoy the occasion. Everyone is welcome. People can "bring drums, pots and pans to chase away the eclipse monster".
After the 4 December eclipse, South Africans can expect another partial eclipse in 2004 and a total one in 2030.
