A Celestial Spectacle: Witness the Partial Solar Eclipse in Tenerife on the 14th of October
Friday, October 13th, 2023
On Saturday, the 14th of October 2023, the skies over Tenerife will play host to a captivating cosmic event – a partial solar eclipse. This awe-inspiring occurrence, brought to you by the celestial dance of the Moon, Earth, and Sun, promises a mesmerising display that is not to be missed.
The National Geographic Institute (IGN) has confirmed that the eclipse will be visible in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife around sunset, commencing at 7:25 pm and lasting until approximately 8:48 pm, as the Moon partially obscures the radiant face of the Sun.
A partial solar eclipse, as opposed to a total eclipse, transpires when the Moon moves between the Sun and Earth, but they are not precisely aligned. Consequently, only a segment of the Sun’s luminous disk will be concealed, casting an enchanting crescent shape across the sky. This unique spectacle unfolds in three distinct stages:
- Partial Solar Eclipse Begins: The Moon’s journey over the Sun’s disk begins, casting a growing shadow.
- Maximum Eclipse: At this point, the eclipse reaches its pinnacle, with the Moon concealing the largest portion of the Sun’s surface.
- Partial Solar Eclipse Ends: As the celestial bodies continue their cosmic ballet, the Moon gradually moves away from the Sun, concluding the eclipse.
Partial solar eclipses occur on average around once or twice a year. The last partial solar eclipse visible in Spain was on the 25th of October 2022. If you happen to miss the eclipse on the 14th of October 2023, there’s good news! The next partial solar eclipse is set to grace the skies on the 4th of April 2024, visible in the far-western Canary Islands and the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. A subsequent partial eclipse on the 29th of March 2025, will be visible throughout Spain – do put those dates in your diary!
However, a word of caution: Never gaze directly at the Sun during an eclipse, or at any other time, without the proper eye protection. The Sun’s powerful ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause severe eye damage, leading to permanent harm or even blindness. The safest way to observe a solar eclipse is to use protective eclipse glasses or create a pinhole projector to project an image of the eclipsed Sun onto a surface.
So, protect your eyes and enjoy the spectacle!
Photograph courtesy of Alexandre P. Junior / Pexels