Partial solar eclipse to be seen July 22

MANILA, Philippines—Avoid using x-ray films, sunglasses and basins filled with water when viewing the partial solar eclipse on July 22. According to astronomy and weather experts, looking at the partial eclipse through these methods would only ruin your eyes. The experts advised the public on Thursday to use the proper equipment in watching the moon partially obscure the sun.

Professor Frederick Gabriana, of the Astronomy Philippines and an instructor of the Rizal Technological University Department of Astronomy, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that water had a five percent rating of reflectivity. “That is, it reflects five percent of sunlight while allowing 95 percent to pass through. While this seems small, it is still 5,000 times bigger than the 0.00001 considered to be safe for solar observation,” he said. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said “enthusiasm and excitement” may lead observers to view the eclipse without the proper gear, that could lead to damage to the retina. Even the use of smoked glass and photographic films and negatives would be dangerous, the agency said on its website.

Pagasa said the safest method would be “indirect viewing” through a “pinhole camera” or projecting the image of the sun onto a white piece of paper or a card using a pair of binoculars (with one of the lenses covered), a telescope, or another piece of cardboard with a small hole of about one millimeter in diameter. The agency has also suggested the use of safe and certified solar filters, provided the instructions are followed. If the weather in Metro Manila is clear, the moon can be seen covering the sun by as much as half, or 49.5 percent, by Gabriana’s calculations.

The eclipse can be viewed by residents in the metropolis from 8:32 a.m. to 11:01 a.m. In Laoag City, 61.4 percent of the sun will be covered, 59.2 percent in Vigan City, 55.4 percent in Baguio City, 45.4 percent in Sorsogon, 36.6 percent in Cebu and 27.7 percent in Davao, according to Gabriana. The path of the moon’s umbral shadow will pass through areas in eastern Asia and the Pacific Ocean, particularly India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, regions in Central China including Shanghai, the Pacific Ocean, Ryukyu, Marshall Islands and Kiribati.