On March 9, 2016, experience the total solar eclipse, one of the nature’s greatest spectacles in Indonesia this year. It will be visible from Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi. It continues through Teluk Tomini and Halmahera in the Moluccas and then heading out over the north Pacific Ocean, to end near the Hawaiian islands.
The eclipse starts when the shadow of the moon reaches the earth in the Indian Ocean, west of Sumatra. The shadow then moves across Indonesia and out into the Pacific Ocean, lasting for 4 mins 09 secs. The track ends north of Hawaii. Indonesia is the only land crossed by the eclipse. The eclipse will be partial for people in South and East Asia and northern and eastern Australia.
The globe shows the path of the Moon’s shadow across the Earth during the eclipse. The shaded region within the red contour shows all the places where the moon covers any part of the sun’s disk. White contours show where the Moon covers 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% of the Sun. The central white dot shows places where the Moon covers more than 98% of the Sun.
Solar eclipses occur when the sun, moon and earth are aligned in an almost exactly straight line, with the moon in the middle, so that the moon passes in front of the sun.
The map shows contours of the maximum extent of the eclipse across the world
It’s also a wonderful reason to visit lesser-known destinations like Belitung island with its white sand beaches, Ternate (one of the remote Muluku Islands), Tidore (30-minute speed boat ride from Ternate) and Moti island.
If you plan to visit, remember that a clear sky is essential and avoid places with street lights. Sunglasses are not good enough protection, get a properly designed solar filter.
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