Special viewing camp for end-of-year solar eclipse

MUSCAT: Those who live in areas near Qarn Al Alam, Manah, Adam, Al Ashkarah, Muhut, Al Khauf and the Masirah Islands will be able to see a total solar eclipse, early in the morning of 26 December, while those who live in the rest of the country can enjoy a partial eclipse.

Those who wish to watch the eclipse from the best possible view can contact the Astronomical Society of Oman that has set up a special event for this occasion. The event is part of the society’s Annular Eclipse Project 2019, which is a national project organised by them in collaboration with several government and private entities. The project, which contains several promotional and awareness campaigns, also features several activities to observe the annual solar eclipse, which will occur in Oman on December 26.

According to NASA’s Goddard

Space Flight Centre, the eclipse is expected to begin over Saudi Arabia and pass over parts of Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE, after which it will enter Oman around 2:30 am Universal Coordinated Time (6:30 am local time), in the form of a partial eclipse. The annular eclipse is scheduled to begin around 3:35 am UTC (7:35 am local time), will reach maximum eclipse at 3:37 am (7:37 am local time), before ending a minute later. The end of the partial eclipse will take place at 4:53 am Universal Coordinated Time (8:53 am local time).

It will then pass over the southern areas of India, before heading to Indonesia and Malaysia, and the lower segment of the Philippines, before ending over the Pacific Ocean.