Hon Adviser Prof YUEN Kwok-yung guides brothers to watch partial solar eclipse at Stanley Ho Astronomical Observatory

2020.06.21

The Honorary Adviser of Queen's College Old Boys' Association (QCOBA) and Chair of Infectious Diseases of the Department of Microbiology of the University of Hong Kong, Prof YUEN Kwok-yung, guided boys and Old Boys to observe a rare partial solar eclipse at Stanley Ho Astronomical Observatory (QCOBA) this afternoon (June 21), as part of QCOBA Centenary celebrations in 2020.

Speaking before his demonstration, Prof YUEN said that the astronomical observation today jointly organised by QCOBA and Queen's College Astronomers' Club (QCAC) not only highlighted our gratitude to the Honorary Permanent President of QCOBA and Founder of Shun Tak Holdings Limited, the late Dr Stanley HO Hung-sun, for his generous donation for the Observatory and lifelong contributions to QC, but also attached our extensive use of the Observatory to continue his mission in cultivating students' interests in space science.

Situated in Tai Tam on Hong Kong Island, the partial solar eclipse was observed using the single-dish radio telescope with an unobstructed view under good weather. The radio telescope can detect radiowaves emitted from extraterrestrial objects which cannot be seen by naked eye. It is not affected by cloudy weather or rain. According to the Hong Kong Observatory, 89 per cent of the sun's diameter would be obscured by the moon at the maximum eclipse. This is the solar eclipse with the largest magnitude visible since 2012 and a solar eclipse with an even larger magnitude will not occur until 2070.

Two Honorary Advisers of QCOBA, Mr CHAN Yiu-wah (former Assistant Director of Broadcasting) and Dr HO Koon-wan (Visiting Associate Professor, Department of History, Hong Kong Shue Yan University), also joined the observation today. The partial solar eclipse observed at the Observatory can be reviewed in its facebook page.

Education and Development Sub-committee,
Queen's College Old Boys' Association
June 21, 2020