Roquetes, 19th of March 2015 -- This Friday, 20th of March, there will be a solar eclipse, which will be partially visible from Europe. In the Ebro Observatory, if weather conditions permit, we will follow the event live by publishing real-time pictures taken with our solar telescope. For this event, we will be accompanied by students from the “Marcel·lí Domingo” school (Roquetes). The pictures will be published on a dedicated microsite which is optimized for both mobile devices and desktop computers.
In Roquetes, the eclipse will start at 09:08 and end at 11:24. The maximum will be at 10:13. At its peak, the Moon will cover 63% of the sun's surface. The next eclipses visible from Europe will take place in 2021, 2022 and 2025, but in these cases, the Moon will not cover more than 5% of the solar disk. Therefore, we can not miss this opportunity. To see a total eclipse from southern Catalonia, we will have to wait until the 12th of August, 2026.
It is very important to follow basic safety rules to observe the eclipse. Never look at the sun directly. Always use appropriate filters. Sunglasses and x-ray radiographs are not suitable filters. Failure to follow these instructions may result in serious injury. To learn more about how to observe the Sun and the precautions to take into account you can visit this website of the National Astronomical Observatory.
This eclipse reminds us that this year is the 110th anniversary of the official opening of the Ebro Observatory, which coincided with a total solar eclipse that took place on the 5th of August, 1905.
We hope you enjoy the event and do not forget to observe it safely.
