For all the unfortunate events that 2020 has brought us, one good thing about the year is its magnificent sky. From the pink moon to eclipses, and to meteors, it sure is a good time to look up.
And it’s still not done, for the “ring of fire” is not just in Lord of the Rings but can now be seen in the sky this Sunday, June 21, 2020. This rare solar eclipse will be visible in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Expected to be the best and most dramatic “ring of fire” annular solar eclipse of the decade, ready your solar eclipse glasses for it can be dangerous for your eyes.
The solar eclipse can be viewed at around 3:11PM in Cebu. Sky watchers will be able to observe the ring around the sun for a maximum of about one minute.
The Northern most areas of Luzon will have a good view of the partial solar eclipse, having an eclipse obscuration of up to 91% while the Visayas and the Mindanao areas’ eclipse obscuration ranges from 52-66% and 43-58%, respectively. An Eclipse Obscuration is the fraction of the Sun’s surface area occulted or covered by the Moon.
This celestial event is a special kind of partial solar eclipse. Basically the opposite of a “supermoon”, it occurs when a new moon is furthest away from Earth on its elliptical orbit.
The public is advised to NEVER look at the sun directly during any type of solar eclipse! Looking at the sun is dangerous. It can damage your eyes.
Summer Solstice
Philippine nights are at their shortest and daytimes are at their longest during the Summer Solstice, which falls on June 21 at 5:44 A.M. (Philippine Standard Time). This is the time when the Sun attains its greatest declination of +23.5 degrees and passes directly overhead at noon for all observers at latitude 23.5 degrees North, which is known as the Tropic of Cancer. This event marks the start of the apparent southward movement of the Sun in the ecliptic.
