In Jakarta and some other areas in Java Island, people can only view the partial solar eclipse as its penumbra passed through this city’s skies.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Hundreds of visitors congregated at Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta, Thursday, to participate in the observation and coverage of solar eclipse organized by Jakarta Planetarium and Observatory starting since 10:48 a.m. local time despite overcast weather.

“I had been waiting here earlier, since I know from social media that the Jakarta Planetarium will be holding such an observation,” Putri, a student, informed ANTARA at the location.

On December 26, 2019, people in Indonesia can observe the annular solar eclipse phenomenon, with some of the best viewing locations, including in Siak District, Riau Province, and Singkawang City, West Kalimantan Province.

Other spots are Padang Sidempuan and Sibolga in North Sumatera, Riau Island, North Kalimantan, as well as East Kalimantan.

In Jakarta and some other areas in Java Island, people can only view the partial solar eclipse as its penumbra passes overhead across this city’s skies, Widya Sawitar, an astronomer at Jakarta Planetarium, informed the press.

“During an annular solar eclipse phenomenon, the Moon appears to pass centrally across the Sun, though it is too small to cover the disk of the Sun completely. Hence, the Moon’s antumbra, a theoretical continuation of the umbra, reaches the ground, and anyone situated within it can look up past either side of the umbra and see an annulus or ‘ring of fire’ around the Moon,” Sawitar explained.

The annular solar eclipse is the 46th eclipse of the total 71 eclipses in the solar Saros series.

This cycle began on August 13, 1208, and will be completed on September 25, 2470, Sawitar added. The next eclipse phenomenon in this cycle will occur on January 5, 2038.

As it occurs globally, this annular solar eclipse was also visible across the skies of Asia, southwest region of Australia, East Africa, Pacific Ocean, and Indian Ocean.

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Translator: Prisca Triferna, Suwanti
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2019