THE first few days of the New Year in the Isle of Man will feature two major stargazing wonders when a meteor shower and a partial solar eclipse happen on the same day.
Next Tuesday, January 4th, is the day when the Quadrantids meteor shower hits its peak and when a partial solar eclipse will be visible low on the horizon at dawn.
The partial eclipse is already visible in Britain. It is best seen from London at the moment, with the upper left of the sun’s disc hidden from the moon at sunrise, while in Manchester, Edinburgh (and the Isle of Man) it can also be seen, but not covering so much of the sun. The eclipse ends each day when the moon passes through around 9.30am.
The partial eclipse will be at its peak at dawn on January 4th and can be seen across Europe and parts of Asia and Africa. From the Isle of Man around one third of the sun will be covered by the moon. The event also coincides with a new moon, promising the possibility of a spectacular sight for stargazers. Points along the east coast of the Isle of Man will be the best places to view the eclipse and a gathering of local astronomy enthusiasts is planned for Douglas Promenade on Tuesday morning.
The meteor shower will be at the most intense in the early hours of January 4th but can also be seen on the 3rd. The best time is predicted to be between midnight and 5am when the sky is darkest. Visibility is best away from street lights and in the countryside. Viewing from towns will be impaired by street lighting. There is no need for telescopes or binoculars to see the meteor shower but it is not advised to use telescopes or binoculars to see the partial eclipse of the sun because of the risk to eye damage.
Meteors (shooting stars) will stream from their radiant point which is below and to the left of the handle of The Plough through the north east and east. It is expected to produce between 30 and 40 meteors per hour.
Seeing both events in the Isle of Man, however, depends entirely on weather conditions. The 5-day forecast from the Met Office at Ronaldsway suggests that the Island will be mainly dry but with perhaps a little rain or drizzle. The crucial forecast for visibility is said to be “good, occasionally moderate later”, although this may change as we get closer to Tuesday. isleofman.com will update this story in the days leading up to Tuesday.
In addition to the partial eclipse and the meteor shower, there will also be another notable astronomical event when the planets Jupiter and Uranus will be in alignment on January 5th and can also be seen easily without the need for a telescope. An ordinary pair of binoculars will give a good view of the event. The precise time of the alignment is 2am GMT in the southern sky.
All photographs - Bill Dale www.isleofmanphotos.com
