Partial eclipse hidden behind thick cloud over Hong Kong, then this happened

(SCMP) AraresolareclipsetookplaceonWednesdaymorningbutHongKongrevellershadtoadmirethespectaclethroughdenseclouds.

TheangleofthephenomenonmeantitwouldhaveonlybeenseenasapartialeclipseinHongKong,butequatorialviewersinIndonesiaandnorthernAustraliaweretreatedtoafulleclipse.

Hongkongerscouldseethesunandmoonalmostlinedupat8.05amatanelevation19degreesabovethehorizon.

Asthemoonpassedby,moreofthesunwasblocked.Themaximumoccurredat8.58am,inwhichathirdofthesun’sdiameterwaseclipsed.

EclipseviewersgatheredwiththeirtelescopesatTsimShaTsuiharbour.Photo:DicksonLeeTheObservatorysaidthepartialeclipsehadamagnitudeof0.331,meaningonly33.1percentofthesun’sdiameterwouldhavebeenobscured.Theforecasterhadrecommendedrevellerstakeupviewingpointswithunobstructedviewstotheeast-southeastsuchasSaiKungandShekO.

PeopleinHongKongusedsolarviewerstowatchthepartialeclipsefromHongKong’sharbour.Photo:DicksonLeeThespectaclewascapturedinclaritybythetelescopeattheHongKongSpaceMuseuminTsimShaTsuiandbroadcastedlive.

Cloudyconditionsmadeitdifficulttogetagoodglimpseoftheeventwithoutthehelpofpowerfuloptics.

Mostpeoplewouldhaveexperiencedtheeclipsethiswayascloudobscuredtheevent.Photo:HKOMeteorologyloverswereseenluggingtheirtelescopestoStatueSquareinCentralandalongtheTsimShaTsuiharbourfronttogetthebestviewpoints.TowardstheendoftheWednesdaymorningevent,aclearviewofthepartialeclipsewasbroadcastontheHKShengKungHuicentre’scamera.AndSingaporehadabetterluckseeingtheeclipsethroughintermittentclouds.

ApartialsolareclipseinSingaporegetsavisitor.Photo:ReutersThenextsolareclipseobservableinHongKongwilloccuronDecember26,2019.Itwillalsobeapartialsolareclipse.