ECLIPSED, BY THE MOON

A BALEARIC government training and innovation department is to distribute 10'000 sets of special glasses to primary and secondary schools throughout the Islands to enable students and teachers to watch the annular eclipse of the sun scheduled to take place on October 3, between 9.45am-12.30pm. Joana Rossello, director of the department which is part of the regional ministry of Education and Culture, confirmed yesterday that 5'150 sets will be made available in Palma, 1'450 in Manacor, 1'300 in Inca, 1'100 on Ibiza, and 1'000 on Minora. A further 1'000 were already distributed amongst the 120 teaching staff who attended an astrological observation conference at Costitx observatory last week. Regarded as a total success, this event was used to provide full information on how the coming eclipse, when the moon passes across the face of the sun producing a “ring of fire” effect, should be viewed without using the naked eye. Salvador Sanchez, the director of the Astronomical Observatory in Costitx, said these kinds of eclipses have not been seen in Spain since the 18th century. He added that the southern part of Ibiza and Formentera will be the best place in the Balearics from which to view the eclipse.
From a visibility point of view, the ideal place, however, will be in central Africa.
He predicted that the phenomenon will be a “fantastic spectacle” and signalled that on this occasion, Balearic citizens will have more means at their disposal to view the eclipse than on any previous occasion. Regional government public health director, Antoni Pellicer, drew sharp attention to the necessity of people only viewing the eclipse through the specially provided lenses which have been approved by the European Union. Direct viewing could result in the lining of the retina in the eye becoming burned, causing irreversible damage.