View of solar eclipse depending on the weather

Amateur astronomers may be disappointed on Thursday with clouds and rain forecast to mar views of a partial solar eclipse in Shanghai.

The eclipse is expected to be seen first over Saudi Arabia before it sweeps over India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia and ending in the West Pacific. Saudi Arabia and some central Asian countries will witness an annular solar eclipse, which forms a “ring of fire,” while China will only see a partial eclipse or the “sun bitten by moon.”

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks the sun.  In a total eclipse, the sun is fully obscured. In partial and annular eclipses, only part of the sun is covered.

In Shanghai, the phenomenon will be visible between 12:52pm and 3:17pm. The moon will take its largest nibble out of the sun at 2:09pm, when 32 percent of the solar disk is obscured, according to the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory.

“It is forecast to be visible in the afternoon in Shanghai, which is favorable for observation,” said the observatory's Tang Haiming. “But it depends on the weather conditions. If it's too cloudy or rainy, then it will not be seen.”

He warned of the dangers of directly looking at the eclipse and advised using special “eclipse glasses.”

 Shanghai Meteorological Bureau says Thursday will be overcast with light rain before turning cloudy.