IT IS hard to eclipse a fireworks display on Australia Day, but an astronomical event is sure to divert attention from the traditional celebrations on January 26.
People gathering for the Australia Day fireworks will be able to observe a partial solar eclipse which Scitech Horizon Planetarium manager Pete Wheeler said only took place every couple of years.
“It’s just a coincidence that it will happen at a time when most of the people in Perth will be gathering to celebrate the Australia Day fireworks,” he said.
“2009 is the International Year of Astronomy and a great opportunity to find out more about this astronomical phenomenon.”
The eclipse will begin at 5.01pm and end nearly two hours later at 6.56pm, reaching its maximum coverage about 6.01pm, just a few hours before the Skyworks fireworks start.
Mr Wheeler said people should avoid looking at the sun during the eclipse to avoid eye damage, but said there were safe ways to observe it.
“Even with sunglasses or a camera, the sun will still damage your retina, which can cause blindness,” he said.
“You can make a very simple pinhole camera out of two pieces of cardboard and see the exact shape of the sun as the moon passes through its shadow.”
The Scitech Roadshow team will be helping children make pinhole cameras in the family areas on both the city and South Perth sides of the river.
Pinhole camera design and instructions can be downloaded from the Scitech website www.scitech.org.au.
Mr Wheeler said the eclipse was a great way to start the international year of astronomy and get people more involved with the wonders of space.