South Africans are set to witness a partial solar eclipse today, with the Moon passing between the Earth and the Sun.

The Witness reports that the South African National Space Agency (Sansa) urges South Africans to use protective eyewear when viewing the solar eclipse.

“The partial eclipse will begin at 14:01 South African Standard Time (SAST), reaching maximum eclipse at 14:23 SAST with about 5% solar coverage in the Western Cape,” Sansa spokesperson Daleen Fouche said.

What is a solar eclipse?

For South Africans, this is a rare occurrence: when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, obscuring it.

During a partial solar eclipse, the Moon, Sun, and Earth do not align in a perfectly straight line, and the Moon casts only the outer part of its shadow, known as the penumbra, onto Earth.

How to watch online

The partial solar eclipse will be streamed live on the Sansa’s YouTube channel using its newly acquired solar telescope.

Sansa said it will use the 60mm white-light solar telescope, producing a white-light image.

Those who intend to watch the eclipse are urged not to stare directly at the Sun.

Previous eclipses

Last year stargazers enjoyed a ‘Blood Moon’ in September during a total lunar eclipse visible across Asia and swathes of Europe and Africa.

When the Sun, Earth and Moon line up, the shadow cast by the planet on its satellite makes it appear an eerie, deep red colour that has astounded humans for millennia.

People in Asia, including India and China, were best placed to see the total eclipse, which was also be visible on the eastern edge of Africa as well as in western Australia.

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