By J. Jala | 12:58 AM June 21, 2020
Skywatchers in the Philippines will witness on Sunday afternoon (June 21, 2020) the most dramatic “ring of fire” solar eclipse to shadow the Earth in years.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), the event would be observed as a partial solar eclipse from the Philippines, with the northernmost areas in Luzon having the best views.
An annular solar eclipse happens when the moon is too far away from us to completely hide the sun, leaving a circle of brightness around the moon. That is how it gets the poetic “ring of fire” nickname.
The full annular eclipse will be visible from parts of Africa and Asia.
“A narrow stripe from Africa to the Pacific Ocean will see the Moon in front of the Sun (blocking 99.4% of the Sun at its peak in northern India) such that only a bright ring is visible,” NASA said in a skywatching update for June.
Residents in Itbayat town in Batanes province and Tuguegarao City in Cagayan province will be able to see the moon covering up to 91 percent of the sun.
Metro Manila residents can view the eclipse starting 3:01 p.m. until 5:31 p.m. It will be at its maximum at 4:23 p.m.
In the Visayas and Mindanao, the moon will obscure between 43 percent to 66 percent of the sun.
While a solar eclipse may be exciting, Pagasa cautioned against looking directly at the sun during the event, as doing so can cause damage to the eyes. Looking through telescopes and binoculars are also unsafe.
Special purpose solar filters, also known as eclipse glasses, are best used for viewing.
According to Pagasa, Summer Solstice for this year also falls on Sunday, at exactly 5:44 p.m. Also known as midsummer, this is when nights are at their shortest and daytimes at their longest.
