Partial solar eclipse coming Friday

By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Science Writer

The moon will pass in front of the sun over Hawai'i between 8:08 a.m. and 11:01 a.m. Friday, creating a partial eclipse that will peak at about 9:26 a.m. for Hawai'i viewers.

With the moon expected to cover 79 percent of the sun's face at the peak, it will be the most impressive solar eclipse since the total eclipse of 1991, said Mike Shanahan, Planetarium manager at Bishop Museum.

However, the sun is so bright that if you weren't looking for it, you might not notice the change in brightness, Shanahan said.

The museum observatory will be open all morning to mark the occasion, with "The Eclipse Show," science-based eclipse programs in the Planetarium, at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. "Explore the Lore of Eclipses," a legend- and lore-based program, will be presented in the Castle Theater at 8:30 a.m. and noon.

The museum will set up a system that will display the sun's image and the progress of the eclipse on the observatory wall.

From Hawai'i, the center of the moon will not appear to pass directly across the center of the sun, making it a partial eclipse.

Only in southern Nicaragua and northern Costa Rica will the centers cross, but the moon is so far away from Earth now that it won't cover the entire disk of the sun, making that an annular eclipse there.

A total eclipse, like the one over the Islands in 1991, occurs when the moon is near enough to the Earth that its surface completely covers the disk of the sun.

Shanahan reminded Hawai'i sun lovers that it is never safe to look directly at the sun, and he warns that the old Mylar-coated Sun Peeps that were available for the 1991 eclipse are no longer safe. He checked his, and it let too much light through, apparently due to degradation of the Mylar.

Viewers can use special eclipse-watching gear that will be sold for $2 at the Bishop Museum on Friday, or welding goggles rated 14 or higher, or they can use reflective techniques to display the progress of the eclipse.

For more information on safe viewing techniques and materials, check the museum Web site, bishopmuseum.org, and click on "Unsafe and Safe Eclipse Viewing Techniques" in the "breaking news" section.