Watch: What to do to view solar eclipse in UAE on October 25?

Dubai: UAE residents have been urged to exercise due caution while viewing the second partial solar eclipse of the year tomorrow - Tuesday, October 25 - as exposure to the celestial spectacle with the naked eye can be harmful, Dubai Astronomy Group CEO Hasan Al Hariri has said.

Speaking to Gulf News, Al Hariri said, “The partial solar eclipse visible in UAE will approximately cover 39.09 per cent of the sun. It will last for a duration of over two hours starting from 2.41pm and ending at 4.54pm. It will peak at 3.51pm.”

He said, “Observing the solar eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous. The intensity of solar flares at the time of eclipse will be high and harmful. The adverse impact on the eye may not be felt immediately, but in the long run.”

What is solar eclipse?

According to Space.com, solar eclipses occur when the moon slips between Earth and the sun casting a shadow on the planet and blocking sunlight. The blockage could be either complete or partial. Neither partial solar eclipses nor total solar eclipses are ever visible from all parts of the Earth. This is because the moon is much smaller than the Earth and its shadow is just a few hundred miles wide, meaning it can only fall on part of the planet’s surface at any one time.

Tuesday’s solar eclipse will be visible from Europe, the Urals and Western Siberia, Central Asia, Western Asia, South Asia and from north-east Africa. The maximal phase of the partial eclipse will be recorded on West Siberian Plain in Russia near Nizhnevartovsk.

Al Hariri said, “The best way to observe the solar eclipse is to use eclipse glasses, which are completely safe. Eclipse glasses are available online or the Al Thuraya Astronomy Centre.

Timings of solar eclipse in Dubai

Duration: 2 hours, 13 minutes, 40 seconds

Partial eclipse begins: 2:41:12pm

Maximum: 3:51:29pm

Partial eclipse ends: 4:54:52pm