Annular solar eclipse on 26th

Islamabad: An annular solar eclipse, also called the ring-of-fire eclipse, will be visible in Pakistan on December 26.

It will also be witnessed in the Eastern Europe, most of Asia, North and West Australia, Eastern Africa, Pacific Ocean, and Indian Ocean.

Unlike total and partial eclipses, the annular one occurs when the Moon covers the Sun’s centre leaving the latter's visible outer edges to form a ring of fire or annulus around the former.

According to the Met Office, the penumbral eclipse will begin at 7:30 a.m. on December 26, the partial at 8:34 a.m. and total at 8:37 a.m, while the greatest eclipse will happen at 10:18 a.m.

The total eclipse will end at 11:58 a.m, partial at 12:01 p.m. and penumbral at 13:06 p.m. The maximum magnitudes of the annular solar eclipse will happen at 8:46 a.m. in Karachi, 8:58 a.m. in Islamabad, at 8:48 a.m. in Quetta, 8:56 a.m. in Peshawar, 8:58 a.m. in Lahore, 9:01 a.m. in Gilgit and 8:59 a.m. in Muzaffarabad.

This will be third and last solar eclipse of the year with the first, a partial one, happening on Jan 6 and the second, a total one, on July 2. As this will be is an annular eclipse and not a total one, there is no safe window for directly watching it without proper eye protection.