Only solar eclipse this year to be partially seen in PH

THE ONLY total solar eclipse that will occur this year will only be seen as a partial one in the Philippines.

The sky will begin to darken at 7:51 a.m. on March 9 and the eclipse will last about three hours, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

But even if only 60 to 80 percent of the sun will be covered by the moon’s shadow, Pagasa warned the public not to look directly at the eclipse with the naked eye as this could cause permanent eye damage.

The celestial display will be visible over parts of Indonesia and the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

“In the Philippines, the event will be observed as a partial solar eclipse,” Pagasa said.

Pagasa said Mindanao will best experience the partial solar eclipse since they will have an eclipse obscuration of up to 80 percent, meaning that up to 80 percent of the sun’s surface will be covered by the moon’s shadow.

The Visayas will experience an eclipse obscuration of 60 to 70 percent, while Luzon will have an eclipse obscuration of only 30 to 60 percent.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the earth and the sun, totally or partially obscuring the image of the sun as viewed from the earth.

The last total solar eclipse occurred in March 2015, which also was not visible in the Philippines.