Swiss get ready for partial solar eclipse

On Saturday, the moon moves in front of the sun Keystone-SDA

At around 11:20am on Saturday the moon will begin to move in front of the sun in Switzerland. However, it will not completely cover it.

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The partial solar eclipse will begin slightly earlier in the west of Switzerland than in the east. While part of the sun in Geneva will be covered by the new moon from 11:14am, the solar eclipse in Chur will not begin until 11:22am. In Bern, the sun will be covered from 11:17am, in Basel from 11:18am and in Zurich from 11:20am.

Just a few minutes after this first contact with the moon, it will look as if someone has bitten into the sun at the top right. Maximum dimming will be reached between 12:02pm and 12:07pm, depending on the location. Then about one sixth of the sun will be covered.

The moon then retreats upwards out of the sun’s disc. About 90 minutes after the start, the partial solar eclipse is over.

Do not look directly at the sun

Astronomers urge caution: anyone wishing to observe the celestial spectacle should never look directly at the sun without protection, writes the Swiss Astronomical Society SAG in an information brochure on the solar eclipse. However, the sun is no more dangerous on the day of a solar eclipse than usual when it shines from a cloudless sky.

There are around two to five solar eclipses per year worldwide. However, these are only visible from a small part of the world.

You will have to be patient for a long time before you can observe the next total solar eclipse from Switzerland: the next total solar eclipse will take place on September 3, 2081.

Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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