The annular solar eclipse as seen by Filipinos

December 26, 2019 - 9:19 PM
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Annular solar eclipse
A kite flies during the annular solar eclipse in Siak, Riau province, Indonesia, December 26, 2019. (Reuters/Willy Kurniawan)

The annular solar eclipse, also called the “ring of fire” eclipse, was fully visible in Mindanao and partially visible in other parts of the country on Thursday afternoon.

An annular solar eclipse is when the moon passes in front of the sun, leaving the latter’s outer edges visible through a formation dubbed as the “ring of fire.”

It was best viewed in Balut and Batulaki, Sarangani Island and Davao Occidental.

The phenomenon reached its peak around 2:31 p.m. and reportedly ended at around 4:00 p.m.

The next annular solar eclipse to be visible in the Philippines will occur on February 28, 2063.

On social media, Filipinos presented how the rare phenomenon appeared in the sky in different forms.

Twitter user @JoanaJoaquin30 captured the solar eclipse with clouds creating a dramatic effect around it using a smartphone.

Twitter user @MatthewSCuyugan showed the phenomenon in a dark background with clouds blurring the view.

Twitter user @_jaycel shared his own shots of the solar eclipse that he saw with his own “naked eyes,” although the practice is dangerous as it could ruin eyesight.

Unlike the shots of other users, his pictures were blended with colors that were not black or white, although he could’ve used filters.

For Twitter user @atomdatcom, the solar eclipse was captured on its “beginning” stages using a smartphone with a solar filter.

It was one of the closest shots of the annular eclipse on local Twitter so far.

A solar eclipse is a celestial event where the moon casts a shadow over the earth when it blocks the sun during an orbit.

It is categorized into three types: A total solar eclipse, a partial solar eclipse and an annular solar eclipse.

Solar eclipses occur once every 18 months.

It used to be considered a bad omen during ancient times but nowadays, the phenomenon is continuously studied, observed and celebrated.