Annular solar eclipse visible in PH on Dec. 26

By ALEXANDRIA SAN JUAN

Parts of the Philippines, particularly the southern part of the country, will witness an annular solar eclipse with the sun appearing as a "ring of fire" in the afternoon sky the day after Christmas.

State astronomers from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Friday the annular eclipse will occur on Dec. 26 and will be visible in parts of the country.

PAGASA Astronomical Observatory chief Mario Remondo said an annular eclipse happens when the moon is farthest from the Earth.

"Because the moon is farther away from Earth, it seems smaller and does not block the entire view of the sun thus creating a 'ring of fire' effect or annulus," he said in a press conference at the PAGASA office on Saturday.

Based on PAGASA's Astronomical Diary, the annularity will be visible in some parts of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and southernmost parts of the Philippines.

Remondo said next week’s annular eclipse will last more than three hours.

In the Philippines, Remondo said the best site to observe the annular eclipse is in Balut, Batulaki,

and Sarangani Island.

In Balut Island, the phenomenon will start at 12:43 p.m., reach its maximum at 2:30 p.m., and end at 3:57 p.m. In Manila and in Quezon City, the eclipse will begin at 12:32 p.m., reach its maximum at 2:19 p.m., and end at 3:47 p.m.

Other parts of the country will observe it as a partial solar eclipse.

Remondo said solar eclipses occur every year but their paths barely cross the Philippines. Citing historical records, he said the last solar eclipse spotted in Philippine skies was at least 75 years ago, on July 20, 1944, and it was also visible in Mindanao.

Remondo said the next solar eclipses that will be visible in the country will occur on Feb. 28, 2063, and July 24, 2074.

Meanwhile, the bureau also said Filipinos should expect shorter days and longer nights after the winter solstice on Sunday, Dec. 22.

"The sun will reach the winter solstice on December 22 at 12:19 p.m. (Philippine Standard Time). This marks the time when the sun lies at its farthest point south of the equator," PAGASA said.

The agency said this phenomenon signals the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. "Philippine nights will be longer than the daytime and the Earth has now completed another annual circuit around the sun."