Filipinos will be treated to a special sight this afternoon as a rare “ring of fire” eclipse will be visible in some parts of the Philippines.
Those who fail to witness this astronomical event in the country will have another chance on Feb. 28, 2063 or 44 years from now.
The annular eclipse of the Sun will be visible in the southernmost parts of the Philippines, particularly in Glan (Batulak), Balut, and Sarangani, some parts of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration.
“The Moon will cross the Sun completely. However, the Moon’s orbit is in a position farthest away from Earth. This means that the Moon’s apparent size in the sky is not large enough to completely cover the Sun, as witnessed during total solar eclipses. This, instead, creates a ‘ring of fire’ effect,” said PAGASA weather specialist Mario Raymundo.
Weather permitting, the Philippines can view the partial solar eclipse that will begin around 12:32 p.m. and estimated to end at 3:47 p.m. in Balut Island, Sarangani. It is expected to last for at least three hours while the duration of annularity is likely to last for more than two minutes.
The partial solar eclipse can also be seen in Manila, Quezon City, Aparri, Laoag City, Legazpi City, Puerto Princesa City, and Mactan, Cebu.
The Philippines last witnessed an annular eclipse on July 20, 1944 that traversed Puerto Princesa City, Palawan to Southern Mindanao.
The next annular solar eclipse that will be visible in the Philippines will be on Feb. 28, 2063, which can be seen in most parts of Mindanao.
Another annular solar eclipse will occur on July 24, 2074, passing through Southern Luzon. (Ellalyn V. Ruiz)