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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 15 MARCH 2015 16 News MARTINA BORG MALTA will see a partial solar eclipse on 20 March, with northern Europe having a total eclipse on the day. Newspapers and headlines around the world are abuzz at the prospect of the celestial phenomenon, with some foreign papers claiming it will be the strongest eclipse since 1999. Kristian Zarb Adami, director of the Institute of Space Sciences and Astronomy at the University of Mal- ta, explained that a solar eclipse oc- curs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth and partially or completely blocks the sun. "There can be a minimum of two and a maximum of five eclipses every year, but the strength and vis- ibility of the eclipse depends on a country's location on the planet. It takes an average of 375 years for a total eclipse to re-occur at a specific location," he added. According to a website (www.time- anddate.com), the last time a total solar eclipse was observable from Europe was in November 2013. Zarb Adami pointed out that the eclipse next Friday is expected to last around two hours, starting from 9.25am and ending at 11.25am, with maximum eclipse occurring at 10.25am. Dr Charles Galdies, University of Malta lecturer and author of the Znith Observatory blog, explained that the eclipse over Malta will have an obscuration of the sun of 38% ac- cording to NASA figures, and said it will be observable from anywhere on the island. Galdies told MaltaToday that the last eclipse of a similar size took place on 11 August, 1999. "At the time, the path of the moon's shadow covered the south of the UK, northern France, Belgium, Luxem- bourg, southern Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary. In Malta, the moon obscured approxi- mately 0.70 of the sun's diameter," Galdies explained. "This forthcoming eclipse will be a super-moon eclipse, since the shadow of the moon will be slightly larger than usual, and as a result, the eclipse might appear only slightly darker, but in practical terms, can be considered to be an insignificant feature," he added. Although everyone is invited to marvel at the phenomenon, people are encouraged to exert caution in observing the sun and they should never look directly at it without the appropriate protection. "The best way to watch the eclipse would be through a projection of the sun on a piece of paper or through a pinhole camera system," Zarb Ada- mi stressed. On its website, the Astronomical Society of Malta instructs people to "poke a small hole in a card with a pencil point and hold a second card a metre or so behind it," in order to form a paper projector. "The hole will project an inverted image of the Sun's disk onto the lower card. The image will under- go all the phases of the eclipse just like the Sun in the sky. A large hole makes the image bright but fuzzy; a smaller hole makes the image dim but sharp," the website explains. Astronomy website www.sky- andtelescope.com instructs that in order to reduce the amount of day- light shining on the viewing card and ensure a clearer image, one could also enclose it in a long box. Galdies added that people should never look directly at the sun. "Always use special specs with spe- cial filters that block UV light. These can be ordered online but make sure that they are of good quality," he added. "Never, ever observe an eclipse directly through a telescope or bin- oculars. Instead try to project the image from the eyepiece onto a flat, white paper or cardboard," Galdies advised. TEODOR RELJIC PLANS have been submitted to transform the monti open-air mar- ket in Valletta into an artistic hub by night, and the Ministry for Culture has put forward a proposal to allow the market in Ordnance Street to be used as a space for artists and arti- sans to display and sell their work. Submitted to the Ministry for the Economy a few months ago, in the wake of the controversy over the Valletta market move, the proposal for the 'Valletta Creative Market' is said to have been warmly received by Economy Minister Chris Cardona, though its suggestions remain at proposal stage at this point in time. "The idea of an evening artisan market was submitted a number of months back by the Culture Ministry to the Economy Ministry and we are very satisfied about the feedback we received. "We believe that the proposal, if implemented, would be of huge benefit to the artistic community at large. Of course the proposal is in fact that – a proposal – and like any proposal it needs to be discussed and analysed attentively. In this analysis we pledge to listen to what the stake- holders have to say," Culture Minis- ter Owen Bonnici said in comments to MaltaToday. Taking as its model the tourist- friendly and ever-popular artisan markets in places like London, Paris and Barcelona, the proposal suggests that a "holistic plan" of the area be put through a competitive process, and that a 'market manager' would then take on the task of overseeing the space and liaising with artists on a regular basis. The proposal claims that the government recognises the socio- economic and cultural value that markets have for cities, and as such is committed to this project so as to "invest in a platform that facilitates the local artistic business communi- ty's commercial operations, in paral- lel with more traditional enterprises functioning from Valletta's open-air marketplace". The proposal specifies that the project will provide an "opportunity to form a commercial cluster that is widely accessible on a constant ba- sis. Available daily, the space would be utilised in the mornings by main- line commercial traders, with whom the artists would be able to interact and form a wider commercial sup- port network that helps with their businesses". Taking its cue from particular markets across the world, such as Camden (London), Montemartre (Paris), La Boqueria (Barcelona), Spui (the Netherlands) and Yutuan (Shanghai), the proposal points out how such markets have in fact "at- tained a status that goes beyond their strictly commercial function". "They have also become energetic spaces where artists showcase their creations to an enthusiastic inter- national audience that gravitates towards these vibrant epicentres which seamlessly integrate econom- ic and cultural activity." But apart from international ex- amples, the proposal also flagged up local initiatives that can serve as an inspiration, chief among them being the bi-annual artisan fair 'Patches', as well as other related initiatives that are organised on a "private or ad hoc basis", such as one-off mar- ket stalls during events like Notte Bianca and Earth Garden. The Valletta Artisan Market would aim to provide a more long- term, consistent manifestation of initiatives of this kind. The "first step" forward suggested by the pro- posal would be the publication of a competition for a holistic plan for the earmarked area. The competition would require, inter alia, "the preparation of an ar- tistic design for the stalls and a vi- sion for the ambience, together with the submission of a business road- map aimed at the collective growth of the artistic entrepreneurial com- munity". Stalls would be provided to artists for a definite period of time follow- ing a call for applications, which would "emphasise the values of in- novation, product authenticity and ethical consumption". The proposal also specifies how a market manager would work with the artists and au- thorities involved to ensure the ini- tiative was running smoothly. "The market manager would also ensure that the project remains eco- nomically and socially sustainable as a gathering place for both the lo- cal community and visitors alike in which commercial exchanges take place." The announcement that the Val- letta market would be relocated be- tween Pjazza Teatru Rjal and spill over into Republic Street was a ma- jor talking point over the past couple of months. The discussion – among both political players and the general public – sometimes took the tone of a 'culture war', as some lament- ed how the 'tacky' Valletta market would impinge on Renzo Piano's de- signs for the capital's entrance, while others called for a more pragmatic approach that would give the mar- ket – currently located in Merchants Street – a much-needed economic boost. treljic@mediatoday.com.mt Malta to experience solar eclipse on Friday Proposal to turn Valletta monti into artisan fair by night Kristian Zarb Adami Charles Galdies Some claim this will be the strongest eclipse since 1999 The contentious Valletta monti debacle was ignited by the possibility of the market spilling onto Republic Street The Valletta market is currently located in Merchants Street Owen Bonnici