Annular Solar Eclipse of 26 Dec 2019

On Boxing day this year there will be an annular eclipse which will be a surprise to many.

Even though I am a keen amateur astronomer, this eclipse will be too close to Christmas to justify a long road trip from the southern states to the Northern Territory, northern Queensland or northern Western Australia, especially after all that Xmas pudding. I will be viewing a live stream on You tube from 4pm Sydney time.

Unfortunately we will only get a partial eclipse here in Australia. For those living North of the line that runs across the country from Proserpine to Perth there will be something to see.

If you are keen the best locations to view the eclipse are in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Phillipines.

What would a partial annular eclipse look like? The photograph below was taken in 2005 and is of a partial annular Solar Eclipse as seen from Portugal by Paula Santos.

For details about the eclipse see NASA's website by clicking this link.

Be aware that viewing partial eclipses without protection has been known to cause eye damage. Proper eye protection is essential and cameras, telescopes and binoculars must have solar filters which meet safety standards. See this link for ideas on how to safely view a solar eclipse by making your own pinhole projector.