A Darker View

A reminder that this afternoon we will have the opportunity to see a partial solar eclipse. For viewers further south, in Australia and across the South Pacific, this will be an annular eclipse. For viewers here in the Hawaiian islands this will be a deep partial solar eclipse, with well over 40% of the Sun obscured by the Moon. This is enough to produce a noticeable drop in the Sun’s brightness at mid-day.

Please exercise caution when viewing the Sun! Use appropriate eye protection or indirect observing techniques to project an image of the Sun. The link at the start of this paragraph leads to a great discussion on viewing the Sun safely. As always the single best source on the web (or anywhere) for eclipse and transit information is Fred Espenak’s eclipse website at NASA. Stop by whenever you have a question on upcoming events as well as viewing and photography tips.

During a deep partial such as this one check out the shadows under nearby vegetation. Small gaps in leaves can act like pinhole cameras projecting small crescent images of the Sun.

Location	Begins	Maximum	Ends	Altitude	Azimuth	Magnitude
Honolulu	14:23	15:48	17:01	43	275	44
Hilo	14:31	15:56	17:05	61	270	47

May 9th will see a solar eclipse sweep across the Pacific. For viewers in Australia and the southern Pacific Ocean, this will be an annular eclipse, not a total eclipse. With the Moon near apogee and further from the Earth, its apparent size will not be quite enough to cover the entire disk of the Sun, resulting in a ring of light surrounding the silhouette of the Moon.

For viewers here in the Hawaiian islands this will be a deep partial solar eclipse, with well over 40% of the Sun obscured by the Moon. This is enough to produce a noticeable drop in the Sun’s brightness at mid-day.

Please exercise caution when viewing the Sun! Use appropriate eye protection or indirect observing techniques to project an image of the Sun. The link at the start of this paragraph leads to a great discussion on viewing the Sun safely. As always the single best source on the web (or anywhere) for eclipse and transit information is Fred Espenak’s eclipse website at NASA. Stop by whenever you have a question on upcoming events as well as viewing and photography tips.

Location	Begins	Maximum	Ends	Altitude	Azimuth	Magnitude
Honolulu	14:23	15:48	17:01	43	275	44
Hilo	14:31	15:56	17:05	61	270	47