Millions awed by ‘ring of fire’
Rare annular eclipse seen across Asia and US
ALBUQUERQUE (New Mexico): Millions in Asia and the western United States watched as a rare “ring of fire” eclipse crossed their skies.
The annular eclipse, in which the moon passes in front of the sun, leaving only a golden ring around its edges, was visible to wide areas across Asia early yesterday.
It then moved across the Pacific and was also seen in parts of the western United States on Sunday afternoon.
Viewing parties were held in Reno, Nevada, Oakland, California, and elsewhere. In some parts of the US, special camera filters for taking photographs have been sold out for weeks in anticipation of the big event.
People from Colorado, Oklahoma and as far away as Canada travelled to Albuquerque to enjoy one of the best vantage points.
Members of the crowd smiled and cheered and children yelled with excitement as the moon crossed the sun and the blazing halo of light began to form. Eventually, the moon centered and covered 96% of the sun.
“That’s got to be the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen,” said Brent Veltri of Salida, Colorado.
Albuquerque city officials had urged residents to go to organised events or watch one of the many live webcasts to avoid damaging their eyes.
The eclipse cannot be viewed with the naked eye or even sunglasses. Solar glasses, which make the sun look like a huge orange disc, are a rare commodity in communities along the eclipse’s path.
In Japan, “eclipse tours” were arranged at schools and parks, on pleasure boats and even
That’s got to be the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen. — BRENT VELTRI
private airplanes. Similar events were hheldld in China and Taiwan as well, with skywatchers warned to protect their eyes.
The eclipse was broadcast live on TV in Tokyo, where such an eclipse has not been visible since 1839.
A light rain fell on Tokyo as the eclipse began but the clouds thinned as it reached its peak, providing near perfect conditions.
“It was a very mysterious sight,” said Kaori Sasaki, who joined a crowd in downtown Tokyo to watch event. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” At the Taipei Astronomical Museum in Taiwan, the spectacle emerged from dark clouds for only about 30 seconds. But the view was nearly perfect against Manila’s orange skies.
“It’s amazing. We do this for the awe (and) it has not disappointed. I am awed, literally floored,” said astronomical hobbyist Garry Andreassen, whose long camera lenses were lined up with those of about 10 other gazers in a downtown Manila park.
“Ring of Fire” eclipses are not as dramatic as a total eclipse, when the disk of the sun is entirely blocked by the moon. The moon is too far from Earth and appears too small in the sky to blot out the sun completely. — AP