Partial solar eclipse expected on Boxing Day, says Hong Kong Observatory
The phenomenon occurs when the moon partially obscures the sun and casts a half-shadow on Earth.
A view of the sun from a beach during a solar eclipse. Hong Kong will experience a partial solar eclipse on December 26 for three hours and five minutes, according to the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO).
The eclipse will begin at 12.17pm amd end at 3.22pm. According to the HKO, the maximum eclipse will take place at 1.55pm.
A partial solar eclipse occurs when the moon partially obscures the sun, casting a half-shadow - or a penumbra - on Earth.
The HKO warns that strong sunlight could cause blindness if an observer looks at the sun directly.
They suggest a safe method of observing the phenomenon is to project the solar eclipse image through a pin-hole device onto a white cardboard and look at the projection. Alternatively, a telescope can be used to replace the pin-hole device to produce clearer images, but the observer must ensure that they only look at image on the cardboard.
The last partial solar eclipse visible in Hong Kong took place on March 9, 2016. The next one will happen on June 21, 2020.