ECLIPSE OF THE SUN.

Shannon News, 31 December 1926, Page 2

ECLIPSE OF THE SUN.

VISIBLE IN NEW ZEALAND. A NEW YEAR EVENT. ■ • At the beginning of the coming year the hundreds of tourists and visitors to New Zealand will be offered tn added attraction in the shape of an eclipse of the sun. Those engaged in deep sea fishing and holiday-making in the vicinity of Russell will be able, if the wearlier is suitable, to observe the phenomenon as a complete annular eclipse. Elsewhere in New Zealand it will be a partial eclipse. The eclipse takes place on Tuesday, January 4, and to see it will necessitate early rising. In Levin the- time of commencement will be 5.34 a.m., the greatest phase being reached ar 6.34 a.m., and the end mt 7.39 a.m. At the moment of the greatest phase .88 of the sun’s disc will be obscured at Russell Avliere the eclipse will be seen as an annular one. This annular phase will last only 30 seconds. The width of the annulus, or unobscured ring, will be only 15 seconds of the are. The annulus therefore, on this occasion will be about a-quarter ,of the width it was during the eclipse of July, 1925. The eclipse will be visible over the whole of New Zealand, but the further south the observer is from Russell the less of the sun will lie see obscured. The southern limit of the annular phase traces a curved line embracing Russell and the extreme point of the East Cape. The only other bit of land from which the annular phase will be visibl will be a strip across the extreme south of the South American continent.