On 4 January 2011, the people of Dubai had the exciting opportunity to view a partial solar eclipse during the afternoon. Just after noon, viewers could see the celestial body passing over the sun, creating a partial eclipse that lasted for a few hours. This was the first partial eclipse viewed in Dubai since 2008. A full solar eclipse has not occurred since 1999. The next solar eclipse will happen in 2019.

Viewers gathered at the Burj Steps at the Dubai Mall. The solar eclipse began in Jerusalem earlier in the day and was not viewable in Dubai until 12:11 pm.

Culturally, people in Dubai have always worried about the effects of a solar eclipse on unborn children. In the past, when there was to be a full eclipse, women were kept inside if they were pregnant. While this belief goes back hundreds of years, there were actually people calling to see if it was safe for pregnant women to view the January eclipse. They were told that since it was a partial eclipse, it would be safe for them to view the event.

The eclipse obscured about 34 percent of the sun. During the maximum eclipse, the sun was obscured for 11 minutes and eight seconds. Astronomers state that there will not be another solar eclipse that lasts this long until December of 3043. Most normal solar eclipses do not last any longer than 5 minutes, so this occurrence was very rare.

Thousands of people from around the world were booking cheap flights to Dubai just to get a glimpse of this eclipse. The event actually attracted many tourists to the area during eclipse time.

Viewers were warned not to look at the sun directly as the rays can be harmful to the eye. Other than that, the solar eclipse was perfectly safe to view. This celestial event attracted thousands of people from all locations around the globe. Many booked last minute flights just to see this amazing event. Seeing an eclipse that lasted for a record amount of time is something that will happen only once on a lifetime.

The eclipse in Dubai may have been just another partial solar eclipse to some people, but for others it was a very exciting event and one of the rare ones in recent years. Even though this area saw another eclipse just a few years back, it was a drop in the ocean compared to this 11 minute eclipse.

Dubai is known for many things around the world, mainly for its unique architecture and wealth. Now, it is can add solar eclipse on to its increasingly long list of happenings. The next total solar eclipse will not occur until 2019. There may be some partial eclipses in the meantime, but nothing that will ever compare to what happened in Dubai in January. This was truly a memorable experience for all who viewed it and will be one of the most talked about partial solar eclipses for quite some time. With the average eclipse maxing out at 5 minutes, this 11 minute phenomena will go down in the history books as being one of the longest eclipses on record.



Posted by: Sean    Source

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