Solar eclipse 2009 to cross Thailand at 8.10am

By John Le Fevre

BANGKOK (THAIVISA.COM): -- Residents from the southernmost to the northernmost provinces of the country will catch the edge of the largest solar eclipse of the 21st century commencing at 8.10am today, Wednesday.

The full solar eclipse will occur over India and China, but residents of Phuket will catch a 20 percent view, while those in the northern most provinces will get a 60 percent view – depending local weather conditions.

The eclipse will first make landfall at 6.30am (0100 UTC/8am TST) on the western Indian state of Gujarat, before racing across India, blacking out the holy city of Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges, squeezing between the northern and southern tips of Bangladesh and Nepal, before engulfing most of Bhutan, traversing the Chinese mainland and slipping back out to sea off Shanghai.

Doctors, astronomers and government bodies, along with major news media in all countries to be under and beside the 258km (160 mile) wide path of the eclipse, have issued warnings to people not to look skyward without adequate eye protection.

Looking directly at the photosphere of the Sun, the bright disk of the Sun itself, even for just a few seconds, can cause permanent damage to the retina of the eye, because of the intense visible and invisible radiation that the photosphere emits.

Large public and private viewings of the eclipse have been organized along the path of the shadow, with many of Thailand’s universities organizing the events and providing free eye protection to those attending.

-- thaivisa.com 2009-07-21

What is adequate protection for the eyes to watch the Sun directly? When I was young my parents used some broken glass held over a candle but still told me not to look for long .. I can still see .. but is there a better way? Are dark sunglasses better or worse?

im not sure the best way, as its gloomy i doubt theyll be much need for the sooted milk bottle, but id guess 'sun'glasses may be the best bet. or not looking, but that wud suck..

ef

Probably a good time to stay off Thai roads as thousands of drivers stretch their heads to look up at the sky.

Full cloud cover here in Nakhon Pathom. No eclipse for me...

about 20% percent right now. got an old film negative and looking through it. actually maybe more than 20%.

Who needs eye protection when it's all cloudy!

Apparently you can look at the sun through the sruface of a regular CD, there appears to be a layer of some metal that protects the eyes. You also have to find a spot on CD that is not covered by paint, probably lettering for brand name.

Yesterday I prepared binoculars - they can project the image of the sun on the sheet of paper.

No use - it's raining.

I can't see it, rain.

Who needs eye protection when it's all cloudy!

Actually I believe you DO need it when it is cloudy,

because some rays will go through the cloud and burn the eyes anyway.

Not all light frequencies pass through clouds the same way.

To cloudy to see squat now... oh well.

I am looking at my pictures from '98 at least.

about 20% percent right now. got an old film negative and looking through it. actually maybe more than 20%.

Here in Chiang Mai at 08.15 through hazy cloud the eclipse was clearly visable with about 40% of the left hand side obscured....not very interesting,apart from the birds being quiet.

Cloudy in Koh Chang too,but the coffee tastes good and TOT is working.

I want mee money back.

Gray sky and rain...

Bangkok is over casted as usual.

It's spectacular here in Phetchburi, totally awesome! Nearly a complete blackout. It's so weird to be so dark at almost 9am! Oh, sorry, it's the curtains to my room. No, I've peaked outside, totally normal.

Missed it --- overcast with rain but the sky appeard to darken for a short time.

I want mee money back.

Me too!

Shall we launch a class action?

Oh I forgot, this is Thailand...

I want mee money back.

Lol yeah, cloudy in Phuket, too

I usually wake around 9am, but woke up super early (7am) just for this...

Just another Bangkok... "SCAM".

I want mee money back.

I want my lost sleep back.

Sadly a non-event.

I usually wake around 9am, but woke up super early (7am) just for this...

Just another Bangkok... "SCAM".

Maybe it was banned in Bangers, along with gambling and prostitution.

Thairet

We got up and made cardboard pinhole thingies, but they didn't work cos too much cloud... thanks to our neighbour who cut up an x-ray and gave us a square of it, or we would have missed the eclipse... birds stopped singing and at times the shadows were a bit weird... was sad that there were so many clouds, but at least we saw it! Our dog was enjoying it as we were all outside with her (so she thought)...

A big hoax, didn't even see the sun, so how could it eclipse. Hope the one in 130 years is more successful.