On Friday, the sun may resemble an apocalyptic scene as a partial solar eclipse creates a striking “devil horns” effect.
This rare phenomenon will be visible in the Northern Hemisphere on March 29th.
A partial solar eclipse occurs when the sun, moon, and Earth are not perfectly aligned. Although the sun is approximately 400 times larger than the moon, the moon’s proximity—400 times closer to Earth—allows them to align in a way that produces this dramatic effect. Eclipses happen roughly every 18 months, but only eleven have been observed in the UK over the past 22 years.
Many Christians interpret eclipses as a sign of the second coming. The Bible, in Joel 2:31, states: “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.”
The upcoming partial solar eclipse will begin at approximately 10:07 AM GMT, reaching its peak at 11:03 AM GMT.
The spectacle will be most visible in Greenland, Canada, and northern parts of the United States. However, those in the UK are unlikely to witness the full “devil horns” effect.
Sam Imperato, an astronomer at the Royal Museums Greenwich, explained to Metro:
“When a partial solar eclipse occurs at sunrise, the visible portion of the sun, partially covered by the moon, can appear like rising horns.”
“For the effect to be most pronounced, the uncovered part of the sun must be below the horizon. Since the eclipse in the UK will be visible between 10 AM and 12 PM, this phenomenon won’t be seen there. However, in North America, where the partial eclipse occurs at sunrise, the horn effect may be visible.”
