"The Solar Eclipse that takes place on August 1, 2008, will be a total eclipse of the Sun with a magnitude of 1.039 that will be visible from a narrow corridor through northern Canada (Nunavut), northern part of Russia, western Mongolia, and China."
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The total eclipse begins in Northern Canada's Queen Maud Gulf at 08:04 UT.
Greatest eclipse, with totality lasting 2 minutes 27 seconds, will occur near the town of Nadym, in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug in Northern Siberia, at 10:21 UT.
At 10:44 UT the eclipse track passes almost directly over the city of Novosibirsk, Russia, where totality will last 2 minutes 18 seconds.
The eclipse track will move along the Mongolia-China border.
Olgij, Mongolia will experience 1 min 36s of totality. Totality finally ends just northeast of Xi'an, China, at 12:38 UT.
The eclipse will be partial for viewers in eastern North America and most of Europe and Asia.
Observers in the British Isles will see the solar disk covered by between 10% and 33% by the Moon.
In London the partial phase of the eclipse begins at 08:33 GMT. The maximum coverage of the Sun is at 09:18 GMT when 12% of the Sun will be blocked. The partial eclipse ends at 10:05 GMT.
In Northern Ireland 20% of the Sun is obscured by the Moon at the maximum phase. The partial eclipse will last from 08:23 GMT to 10:04 GMT. Maximum eclipse occurs at 09:12 GMT.
Scottish observers will get a better view. In Edinburgh 23.5% of the Sun is obscured; from Lerwick in the Shetland Isles, the Moon obscures 36% of the Sun.
Eclipse Aug 1 2008.kmzGoogle Earth file (33kb, kmz)
Solar filters are essential for safe eclipse and solar observation.One tip to view the eclipse is to use a CD as a filter to protect your eyes.
Although the quality will be poor the solar disk and the obstructing disk of the Moon can be discerned.
But don't use CDs that have thin aluminium coatings which will not be safe for viewing the eclipse. If the CD is semi-transparent in normal room lighting, don't use it.
The CD aluminium coating has to be dense enough so the glowing filament of an incandescent light bulb is just barely visible through it.
And remember it is only for non magnified viewing.
