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Catch the eclipse on Monday
Indonesians will have the rare opportunity to view a solar eclipse Monday afternoon, as the archipelago is the only land mass on earth from which the annual cosmic occurrence will be visible
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Indonesians will have the rare opportunity to view a solar eclipse Monday afternoon, as the archipelago is the only land mass on earth from which the annual cosmic occurrence will be visible.
In a solar eclipse, the moon and the sun appear to merge and a ring, or annulus, of bright sunlight beams from behind the moon. This is caused when the moon passes directly in front of the sun, blocking the majority of light but leaving the exterior glow.
Those with sunlight filters will be able to stare at the sky Monday afternoon, although only several parts of the archipelago will enjoy the annulus in its most identifiable form.
Its path will pass through the southern part of Sumatra including Tanjung Karang in Lampung and Tanjung Pandan in Belitung, the western part of Java including Cilegon, Serang and Anyer and the central part of Kalimantan including Puruk Cahu and Samarinda in the east.
”Jakarta will also be able to observe the eclipse, though not likely in its fullest form,” B. Adi Nugroho, founder of the astronomy hobbyist community IndoSkyGazer said.
At 03:24 p.m., Jakartans will be able to observe the moon aligning with the middle of the sun, then at 04:45 p.m. about 92 percent of the sun’s rays will be covered by the moon’s mass. The resulting ring surrounding the moon will last for around six minutes. By 5:50 p.m. the eclipse will be complete.
It is extremely harmful to view a solar eclipse directly with unprotected eyes or common sunglasses.
The Science Exhibition Center (PP Iptek) at the Indonesian Miniature Park TMII in East Jakarta have prepared six telescopes especially designed for solar eclipse observation, promotion manager Putu Lia Sur-yaningsih said.
— JP/Agnes Winarti
Tips for watching the eclipse
- View the eclipse through two or more layers of burnt celluloid film. Add more layers if you feel the glare or blinding sensation from the sunlight.
- Use two or more layers of the internal disc of a floppy disc to filter the sunlight.
- The shadow of the eclipse can also safely be viewed in a reflection, for example from water in a bucket.
