Year’s 2nd partial solar eclipse to be partly visible in Pakistan today

The second partial solar eclipse of this year will be “partially visible” in Pakistan later today, according to the Meteorological Department.

In a statement, the Met department said said the eclipse would be visible from most of Europe, Northern Africa, the Middle East and Western parts of Asia.

“The partial eclipse begins at 13:58 PST and ends at 18:02 PST with the greatest eclipse occurring at 16:00 PST,” the department said.

The Met department also shared the times at which the phenomenon will be at its peak in major cities across the country: 16:50 PST in Islamabad, 16:54 PST in Lahore, 17:01 PST in Karachi, 16:49 PST in Peshawar and 16:53 PST in Quetta.

Solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, casting its shadow down onto our planet.

A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s disk, momentarily plunging a portion of the Earth into complete darkness.

According to the Paris Observatory, today’s eclipse is only partial and the “moon’s shadow will not touch the surface of the earth at any point”.

The New York Times, reports that it is imperative to not look directly at the sun when watching the celestial event. The report recommends purchasing a pair of special glasses with solar filters or building a pinhole projector.