It’s the first new astronomical event of the century, Eclipse of the Sun 2015 Cornwall, but it’s a partial eclipse of the sun this time. The last total eclipse of the sun was in 1999, with Cornwall at the epicentre of the country’s focus! Were you there? I was on Porth Headland.
At 8.18 this morning the eclipse will start at Penzance, Cornwall – moving quickly across the whole of Cornwall, giving the maximum blackout at about an hour later. Be ready, it’s over so fast.
We are the only planet in our solar system that gets an eclipse because it relies on the difference between the moon and the sun – and ours are a perfect match for that.
This year, the far north of Scotland will be getting the closest to a total eclipse, with a maximum of 97% coverage. In Cornwall it’ll be about 82% coverage – enough to be noticeable, but not a total eclipse.
Don’t look at the sun. Use solar glasses.
No solar glasses? Get some white card and find something with a hole in it – then project the sun’s rays through the hole onto the white card and you’ll see it on the card. To make the sun bigger move the two items further from each other.
