Astronomy buffs in Taiwan can look forward to promising celestial events throughout April — including a brighter-than-usual Mercury, a partial solar eclipse and a meteor shower — according to Taipei Astronomical Museum last week.
Mercury, which is often elusive because it is closest to the sun, will become brighter and well-separated from the star on April 12, the museum said.
That is when the planet is at its greatest elongation — as far as it ever gets from the sun as seen from Earth — the museum explained, advising stargazers to look west soon after sunset.
Meanwhile, a partial solar eclipse will take place on April 20, with those in southern Taiwan treated to a better view thanks to its proximity to the path of totality, which passes over parts of Indonesia and Australia, the museum said.
The eclipse will begin at 1:10 p.m. and last 36 minutes, with roughly 10 percent of the sun’s surface blocked at its peak, according to the museum.
Weather permitting, the phenomenon, described in ancient China as “a skydog swallowing the sun,” will be visible to the naked eye across the island, the museum said.
The event is rather rare as the next solar eclipse of any kind will not take place until 2030, it said, while cautioning sun gazers to wear protective glasses when viewing the partial solar eclipse.
Finally, the Lyrid meteor shower peaks on April 23, the museum said.
Skywatchers can expect to see dozens of bright shooting stars per hour during the peak period thanks to little interference from a crescent moon, according to the museum.
The meteor shower gets its name because its radiant is located near Alpha Lyrae, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra.
Source: Focus Taiwan