KUCHING, April 12: Sarawakians, especially those in Kuching, will be able to witness a 30 per cent coverage partial solar eclipse around the afternoon next Thursday (April 20).
The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) said the largest eclipse coverage in the country, which is 43 per cent, can be viewed in Tawau.
For viewers in Peninsular Malaysia, the eclipse will reach maximum coverage of one to 15 per cent while in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah it will be at 34 per cent.
This is a partial solar eclipse which can be viewed across Malaysia in conjunction with the hybrid solar eclipse phenomenon that occurs north of the Australian continent.
Mosti also said that Malaysians can view the phenomenon from 11am to 2pm while those in the peninsula can view it from 11am to 1pm.
“Viewing programmes for the partial solar eclipse will be held at the Kuala Lumpur National Planetarium and in Tawau, with eclipse glasses distributed for free at both locations to enable the public to view the phenomenon safely.
“Several telescopes with special filters will also be provided to enable visitors to view the partial solar eclipse more clearly and safely, in addition to capturing the image by using either a smartphone or Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera combined with observation facilities provided,” it said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, Mosti reminded members of the public not to look at the sun directly without the use of special filters as it could damage the retina of the eye, resulting in permanent blindness.
“The visibility of the partial solar eclipse also depends on weather conditions in certain locations when the phenomenon occurs on April 20.
“If a location experiences thick cloud formation or rain or is cloudy, then it won’t be possible to view the partial eclipse from that site,” it added. — DayakDaily
