WATCH LIVE | Partial solar eclipse visible in SA on Tuesday

South Africans are set to witness a partial solar eclipse on Tuesday, with the Moon passing between the Earth and the Sun. The South African National Space Agency (Sansa) urged South Africans to use protective eyewear when viewing the solar eclipse. “The partial eclipse will begin at 14:01 South African Standard Time (SAST), reaching maximum eclipse at 14:23 SAST with about 5% solar coverage in the Western Cape,” Sansa spokesperson Daleen Fouche said.

“The partial eclipse will end at 15:24 SAST, with a full duration of 1 hour and 23 minutes.” For South Africans, this is a rare occurrence: when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, obscuring it. During a partial solar eclipse, the Moon, Sun, and Earth do not align in a perfectly straight line, and the Moon casts only the outer part of its shadow, known as the penumbra, onto Earth. The partial solar eclipse will be streamed live on the Sansa’s YouTube channel using its newly acquired solar telescope.

Sansa said it will use the 60mm white-light solar telescope, producing a white-light image. Those who intend to watch the eclipse are urged not to stare directly at the Sun. Last year stargazers enjoyed a “Blood Moon” in September during a total lunar eclipse visible across Asia and swathes of Europe and Africa.