Ring of Fire: Here’s How You Can View This Rare Solar Eclipse in Pakistan

Residents of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia are in for one last treat before the end of 2019.

On December 26th, people residing in the above-mentioned regions will witness an annular (ring-shaped) solar eclipse. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the solar eclipse will be visible in Pakistan as well.

2nd Annular Eclipse in 20 Years

According to PMD, this rare eclipse was last witnessed in Pakistan 20 years ago. The previous annular eclipse in 1999 wasn’t clearly visible due to the albedo effect, which caused most of the light to be reflected back into the outer space due to cloudy skies.

The annular solar eclipse will begin at 7:00AM and will end at 1:00PM and will be visible in Karachi, Quetta, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Gilgit.

The City-wise details are listed below:

Islamabad

• Begins: 07:50 AM
• Best View: 08:58 AM
• Ends: 10:15 AM
• Duration: 2 hours, 26 minutes

Lahore

• Begins: 07:47
• Best View: 08:58 AM
• Ends: 10:19 AM
• Duration: 2 hours, 32 minutes

Karachi

• Begins: 07:34 AM
• Best View: 08:46 AM
• Ends: 10:10 AM
• Duration: 2 hours, 37 minutes

Peshawar

• Begins: 07:48 AM
• Best View: 08:56 AM
• Ends: 10:13 AM
• Duration: 2 hours, 25 minutes

Quetta

• Begins: 07:39 AM
• Best View: 08:48 AM
• Ends: 10:08 AM
• Duration: 2 hours, 29 minutes

If you live anywhere else and want to know the exact timings, click here.

The annular solar eclipse is also dubbed as the ‘Ring of Fire’ because only the edges of the sun will be visible from behind the moon.

How to Safely Look at The Eclipse

People intending to view the eclipse are advised not to look at the sun directly. The ultraviolet radiation from the sun can burn the retina which can cause permanent impairment or even blindness.

If you’re looking to view the eclipse, you should consider using these for safety:

• Eclipse glasses
• Solar filters
• Projectors

Avoid using these when looking at the eclipse:

• Sunglasses of any kind
• Color film
• Medical X-ray film
• Smoked glass
• Floppy disks

Featured Image Via andtheunderdogwins.com