People in Karachi, along with other parts of the country, will witness the annular eclipse of the sun on Thursday morning.

According to researchers it would be an ideal celestial gift this time as shall cover 97 percent of the centre of the sun, offering for a few minutes appearance of the "ring of fire" on the sky.

The eclipse will begin at 7:35 am (local time), turning into a total eclipse at 8:46 am and end at 10:30 am, said Professor Dr Muhammad Jawed Iqbal, Institute of Space and Planetary Astrophysics (ISPA), Karachi University.

Mentioning that the impact of radiation could be direct this year, as against the last annular solar eclipse witnessed in the country in 1999, he urged people to avoid looking directly at the sun (without essential protective apparatus). Dr Iqbal said elaborate arrangement to observe the annular solar eclipse, with due provision for needed safety, have been made at the Astronomical Observatory.

Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2019