The Ramsgate Stargazers are holding a partial solar eclipse pizza party tomorrow (August 12) for those who want guidance, or company, while watching the solar event.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Earth, Moon and Sun align. The Moon passes in front of the Sun and blocks its light, casting a small shadow on Earth.
The partial solar eclipse will mean around 90-96% of the Sun will be covered by the Moon.
The Ramsgate Stargazers will gather at Ramsgate Boating Pool from 6pm and expect a maximum partial eclipse at 7.13pm. Proper viewing glasses will be available with one pair per family/group.
Group lead John Hislop has managed to program a micro:bit to measure the light level and temperature every minute and says the solar telescope is ready.
The pizza cafe will be open as well as the bar on the other side of the pool.
If it is cloudy the gathering will still go ahead.
For those who don’t mind staying up until the small hours, there will also be a chance to watch the Perseid meteor shower which will peak overnight on 12-13 August.
As comets get close to the Sun, they heat up and pieces break off. If the debris ends up in the Earth’s path around the Sun, it can slam into our atmosphere at speeds of between 7–45 miles per second.
The average speed for a Perseid meteor is 36 miles per second. The air in front of the meteor is squashed and heated to thousands of degrees Celsius. The smaller meteors vaporise and leave behind a bright trail of light. Larger meteors can explode as fireballs.
Observers in the UK should be able to see some meteors as soon as the Sun sets.
In 2026 the peak of the Perseid meteor shower occurs during new Moon, so conditions are ideal for seeing the peak.
The best time to see the Perseids is between midnight and 5.30am.
The Perseids are debris from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle that orbits the sun every 133 years and will not be visible again until 2125.
Make a pinhole projector to watch the partial eclipse
There are a few ways you can go about making a ‘pinhole projector’, which will allow you to see the eclipse by projecting the Sun’s light, and the bite being taken out of it, onto another surface.
- Two pieces of paper: make a small hole in one piece of paper and hold it above another piece of paper to see the shadow being cast on the Sun replicated in miniature.
- Colander: Hold up a colander and look at its shadow.
- Tree leaves: The gaps between leaves are natural pinhole projectors – simply look at the shadows cast by leaves on the ground.
Find The Ramsgate Stargazers at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/428131222695927
Beautiful enjoy everyone