It added that by 2:32pm, maximum eclipse would occur and the moon would be seen closest to the centre of the sun, and another partial eclipse by 4:01pm, when the moon would leave the edge of the sun.
The website also stated other dates when eclipse would be visible from Lagos, including April 15, 2014, (total lunar eclipse), October 8, 2014 (total lunar eclipse), April 4, 2015 (partial lunar eclipse) and September 28, 2015 (total lunar eclipse).
Be Careful!
To look at the sun without proper eye protection is dangerous.
If you live in the zone where it will be visible, no doubt early
on Sunday morning the eclipse will top the local news, followed of course by the usual dire warnings to the public not to risk blindness by carelessly looking at it. This has given most people the idea that eclipses are dangerous. Not so. It's the sun that's dangerous — all the time. Ordinarily, we have no reason to gaze at it. An eclipse gives us a reason, but we shouldn't.
There are some safe ways, however . . .
The only recommended safe filters – those known to block invisible but damaging infrared and ultraviolet rays – are a rectangular arc welder's glass that dims the sun comfortably in visual light (shade #14 for a normal bright sun) or a metalized filter such as Mylar made specifically for sun viewing. On a telescope, binoculars, or camera, the filter must be attached securely over the front of the instrument, never behind the eyepiece.
The safest way to watch is by means of projecting the sun's image onto a white sheet of paper or cardboard. Poke a small hole in an index card with a pencil point and hold a second card two or three feet behind it. The projected image will undergo all the phases of the eclipse. A large hole makes the image bright, but fuzzy; a smaller hole makes it dim but sharp. You can also enclose this setup in a box to keep out as much daylight as possible. For a nice, sharp image some have used a tiny pinhole pierced in aluminum foil.
A leafy tree can form a profusion of natural pinhole projectors. Watch the dappled ground in the shadow of a tree for images depicting the eclipsed sun instead of the usual round disks.
Better yet, make use of a "pinhole mirror" by covering a pocket mirror with a piece of paper that has a ¼-inch hole punched in it, and then reflect a spot of sunlight onto a nearby wall. The image will be one inch across for every 9 feet from the mirror. Of course, don't let anyone look at the sun in the mirror!
Of course, telescopes and binoculars can project a much larger, sharper and brighter image of the sun which can also show any sunspot groups that may be present. Just be sure no one looks at the sun through the instrument!
Good Luck and safe viewing to all who are in the eclipse zone … and clear skies!
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