Solar Eclipse 2019: The third and final eclipse of 2019

The third and final solar eclipse of 2019 will take place on 26 December and those able to view it are in for a treat. Dubbed ‘the ring of fire’, the celestial event will be visible from India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Samatra, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Borneo, according to space.com.

In the scientific community, the December eclipse is known as an ‘annular eclipse’ because the moon will be covering the sun from its centre, leaving only its outer edges visible. This is where the name ‘ring of fire’ comes from.

The moon will initially begin to pass in front of the sun above the Pacific Ocean at 12:55 pm EDT (19:55 GMT). This will be the beginning of the partial phase of the eclipse. Totality will first be seen over Oeno Island, a British territory in the South Pacific Ocean, at 10:24 am local time (17:24 GMT). The first place in South America to see totality will be near La Serena, Chile, where totality begins at 4:39 pm local time (23:39 GMT).

It is advised that those intending on viewing the ring of fire should not do so with the naked eye as that could cause serious damage. One of the easiest ways to view the eclipse without causing harm to your eyes is to simply make your own pinhole projector. Take a look at the video below to see how.