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Solar eclipse coming on July 22

This century’s longest and most spectacular total solar eclipse will take place on July 22, a local astronomer said on Thursday.

Sun Wei-hsin (孫維新), a professor at National Taiwan University’s (NTU) Graduate Institute of Astrophysics, made the announcement at a news conference hosted by the National Science Council (NSC).

Noting that the UN has designated this year the International Year of Astronomy, Sun said more than 140 countries around the world have been sponsoring activities to promote science and astronomy education during the year.

“One of the most fascinating activities this year will be observing the upcoming total solar eclipse,” Sun said, adding that people should not miss the opportunity to witness the event.

The solar eclipse will be total through a narrow corridor stretching from northern India, eastern Nepal, northern Bangladesh, Bhutan, the northern tip of Myanmar, central China and a narrow ribbon of the Pacific Ocean that includes the Marshall Islands and Kiribati, Sun said, adding that the eclipse would also be partially visible in Taiwan.

“This solar eclipse will be the longest total eclipse to occur this century,” Sun said.

Sun said total solar eclipses are rare, with only 28 percent of the average 238 eclipses that occur each century being total.

“This means that a total solar eclipse appears once every 18 months,” Sun said, adding that it takes an average of 450 years for a total solar eclipse to be visible in the same location twice.

In Taiwan, the last total solar eclipse was seen near Keelung in 1941 and the next one is expected to be visible near the Hengchun Peninsula in Pingtung in 2070, Sun said.

“Local people will be able to see an ‘almost total’ annular partial eclipse on July 22,” Sun said, adding that Taiwanese won’t be able to see a similar one until 2046.

In Taiwan, the NSC is collaborating with the Ministry of Education, Academia Sinica and the Council for Cultural Affairs to organize a series of outdoor activities this summer to inspire local interest in astronomy.

These activities will include a lights-down campaign tomorrow. People will be encouraged to turn off their lights and go outdoors to observe the sky.

Next month, a series of astronomy education camps will be organized for youngsters from Taiwan and other Asia-Pacific countries. In addition, a science festival will take place from Aug. 8 to mid-September to boost astronomical education.

Meanwhile, prospective participants in an astronomy education program organized by NTU’s Graduate Institute of Astrophysics can register online at star.phy.ntu.edu.tw/astronomy.php.
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