Astronomy Fans Venture Out For Partial Solar Eclipse

Hong Kong was treated on Sunday to its last major partial solar eclipse for another decade or so, with almost 90 percent of the sun blocked by the passing moon at one point.

Excited photographers and astronomy buffs gathered at prime viewing locations across Hong Kong with their specialist equipment in tow, to safety observe the eclipse through shielded telescopes, dark solar filters, and even homemade pin-hole contraptions.

“It’s so pretty!” one primary student said, as the moon’s shadow started taking a bite into the sun at 2.37pm.

Many school-children who were among a large crowd that gathered at the Kwun Tong Promenade told RTHK this was their first time to witness this celestial event.

“It’s so rare, we won’t have the chance to see it again for a long time”, another student said.

The clear skies allowed the crowds to enjoy a good view of the moon’s passage for much of the time until the phenomenon ended at 5.24pm.

At the height of the eclipse, 89 percent of the sun was blocked by the moon, leaving just a sliver of the star visible at the bottom.

Temperatures soared to over 30 degrees, but the crowd took the sweltering heat in stride.

One father who watched the eclipse with his nine-year-old son said it was a good opportunity to teach his child about nature.

Many people, young and old, credited their dads for sparking their interest in astronomy, as they enjoyed the cosmic display together with their fathers as part of their Father's Day celebrations.

While Hong Kong will be experiencing more partial solar eclipses in the years to come, this one will be the largest one for decades — with the next partial eclipse that will cover up more of the sun only scheduled to occur in 2070.