Tianjin, 4 Apr (Xinhua) -- On 18 April, Tianyu will stage a relatively special solar eclipse -- a total annular solar eclipse, and a partial solar eclipse with a very small eclipse can be seen in a very small number of areas such as Hainan, Guangdong, Fujian, and Taiwan.
A solar eclipse, also known as an eclipse, occurs when the Moon moves in a straight line between the Sun and Earth. At this time, for parts of the Earth, the Moon is directly in front of the Sun, and some or all of the light from the Sun is blocked, so it appears as if part or all of the Sun has disappeared. Total solar eclipses, annular solar eclipses, and partial solar eclipses are the three types known to the public.
Yang Jing, member of the Chinese Astronomical Society and director of the Tianjin Astronomical Society, introduced that if a total solar eclipse can be seen in some areas and an annular solar eclipse can be seen in other areas, it is called a total annular solar eclipse, also known as "mixed eclipse" and "compound eclipse", which is very rare. In the 21st century, for example, only seven annular solar eclipses have occurred in these 100 years.
This year's eclipse has a narrow eclipse band, with annular solar eclipses occurring at both ends of the eclipse zone and a total solar eclipse in the middle. The eclipse belt begins in the southern Indian Ocean, passes through Exmouth in Australia, southeastern Timor-Leste, and Papua province in Indonesia, and ends in the western Pacific Ocean.
This solar eclipse, whether it is a total eclipse phase or a annular eclipse, the eclipse is very close to 1 (that is, the moon just occludes the surface of the sun, and the size is not much different), which will not only bring a very spectacular sight, but also an extremely rare opportunity for astronomers to observe the sun's surface activity.
It is a pity that only a few areas in China can see a partial solar eclipse "eaten" by the moon, which is limited to the land and islands in the extreme southeast, including the coastal areas of Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong, and a very small number of areas such as Hainan, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, the East China Sea and the South China Sea.
"It should be noted that when watching a solar eclipse, do not observe directly with the naked eye, nor can you use daily sunglasses or sunglasses, and wear blackout glasses that specifically observe the sun. Even if you have special glasses, you should not look at the sun for a long time, look at it for ten seconds at a time, rest for a few minutes, and then continue to look, try to protect your eyes. Yang Jing reminded.