Residents of the UAE gathered to watch the ‘Ring of Fire’ – a spectacle that hasn't occurred in the country since 1847. Thousands observed the last solar eclipse of this decade from the observation deck of the Burj Khalifa earlier today.
The rare astronomical phenomenon returned to the UAE after 172 years and was visible over the UAE skies for 2 hours, 21 minutes and 32 seconds.
The eclipse began soon after sunrise at 7.00 am in the UAE this morning and ended just before 9.00 am. The full annular eclipse lasted for 2 minutes and 47 seconds from 7.36.43 am to 7.38.08 am.
Sky watchers all across the UAE were told to use proper solar filters with certified optical density against radiation to view the event or visit qualified astronomy centres to see it through appropriate equipment. Watching the annular solar eclipse with naked eyes could damage the eyes and even cause blindness due to the infrared and ultraviolet rays of the sun.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the Sun. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon covers the majority of the sun, except its outer edges – creating a bright solar ring called a 'ring of fire'.
The sun was covered close to 92 per cent by the moon today and provided an amazing experience for observers in UAE as well as in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam.