UAE residents to witness partial solar eclipse on June 21

People are urged to view the celestial event safely or risk causing significant damage to their sight

UAE residents are being urged to enjoy the partial solar eclipse safely. EPA

Sky gazers across the UAE will be able to witness a partial solar eclipse on June 21.

The eclipse will cover 86 per cent of the sun and will last for two hours 57 minutes and 17 seconds.

Residents can view the celestial event from 8:14:47am until 11:12:04am.

Hasan Al Hariri, chief executive officer of Dubai Astronomy Group, said the partial solar eclipse is massive in terms of solar disk coverage by the moon.

He urged residents to view the eclipse safely - or risk causing significant damage to their sight.

Mr Al Hariri warned the public to protect their eyes while viewing the eclipse as it will start at 8:14am, when people may be on their way to work.

“Never look at the sun, eclipsed or otherwise, without proper eye protection, like eclipse glasses," he said.

"The sun’s rays can burn the retinas in the eyes leading to permanent damage or even blindness. A safe way to watch a solar eclipse is to wear protective eclipse glasses or to project an image of the eclipsed sun using a pinhole projector," said Mr Al Hariri.

Parts of Africa including the Central African Republic, Congo, and Ethiopia, south of Pakistan, northern India, and China will see the characteristic ring of fire but a partial eclipse will be visible from South/East Europe, much of Asia, North in Australia, much of Africa, Pacific and the Indian Ocean.

The UAE witnessed a ring of fire solar eclipse in December 2019, an extremely rare event which occurred in the country for the first time in 172 years.

In an annular solar eclipse, the moon passes in front of the sun’s centre, leaving its edges to form a bright circle which is known as a ring of fire.

On this occasion, people across the world did not take necessary precautions while viewing the eclipse, said Mr Al Hariri.

Only view the sun through special filters made specifically for safe solar viewing, he said.

ISO certified solar eclipse glasses are available at Al Thuraya Astronomy Center for Dh20.

Dubai Astronomy Group will also telecast the live view of solar eclipse from Dubai and many other cities of the world.