‘Ring of fire’ eclipse seen this Sunday

Filipinos will have the opportunity to experience an astronomical event this Sunday, with the annular solar eclipse visible from the country, says the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

An annular eclipse takes place when the moon is farthest from the earth. Since the moon appears smaller and does not block the entire view of the sun, a “ring of fire” effect is created.

Pagasa said the event would be observed as a partial solar eclipse from the Philippines, with the northernmost areas in Luzon having the best views.

Residents in Itbayat town in Batanes province and Tuguegarao City in Cagayan province will be able to see the moon covering up to 91 percent of the sun.

CautionMetro Manila residents can view the eclipse starting 3:01 p.m. until 5:31 p.m. It will be at its maximum at 4:23 p.m.

In the Visayas and Mindanao, the moon will obscure between 43 percent to 66 percent of the sun.

While a solar eclipse may be exciting, Pagasa cautioned against looking directly at the sun during the event, as doing so can cause damage to the eyes. Looking through telescopes and binoculars are also unsafe.

Summer solsticeSpecial purpose solar filters, also known as eclipse glasses, are best used for viewing.

Summer solstice for this year also falls on Sunday, at exactly 5:44 p.m., according to Pagasa.

Also known as midsummer, this is when nights are at their shortest and daytimes at their longest.