Swindon and Wiltshire residents urged to view astronomical spectacle during October half term – Swindon Advertiser

Swindon and Wiltshire residents are being urged to take their chance to see an astronomical spectacle during October half term.

People across the county will be able to see celestial mechanics at work in the form of a partial solar eclipse as the moon appears to take a bite out of the face of the sun on Tuesday, October 25.

And members of astronomy club Swindon Stargazers will be on hand to explain to whole process and help spectators to observe the eclipse safely, after they agreed with the National Trust to set up their equipment at the historical Avebury site.

Committee member Robert Slack is encouraging members of the public to join them, weather permitting.

The eclipse will take place whilst most people are working first contact is at 10.08am and it willall be over by 11.47am but Robert is hoping that anyone with an interest in astronomy, or parents with children on the school break, will join them.

We will be following the same set up we had for a similar eclipse last year, he told the Adver.

Robert Slack

From about 10 oclock onwards looking through a telescope, and from the latter stages you would see it through eclipse viewing glasses, you would see a chunk of the sun disappear as the moon moves across it.

Whilst the overlap is not significant enough to cause it to get dark, the 58-year-old said it was something worth appreciating.

This is an event of not massive significance but an event that you could see safely with our guidance and our equipment to view it.

We would be very happy to explain to people what is going on, the significanceof eclipses, how they were held historically.

Robert, a maintenance engineer from Park North who was one of the founding members of the Swindon Stargazers in 2009, said that they have a good relationship with the National Trust, and highlighted Aveburys significance.

It has some sort of a historical significance, some people believe the stones had an astronomical function like Stonehenge.

Robert first became interested in astronomy as a child, after becoming a fan of science-fiction franchises such as Star Trek.

But it was in 1998 that his passion really developed he was gifted a telescope by his wife and managed to see Saturn.

I think that blows most people away.

This months partial eclipse is visible across most of Europe, the Middle East and western Asia, and will be the last solar eclipse visible in the UK until 2025.

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Swindon and Wiltshire residents urged to view astronomical spectacle during October half term - Swindon Advertiser