KUCHING: Sarawakians will have the rare opportunity to witness daylight darkness for nearly three minutes during a solar eclipse on Dec 26.
The phenomenon will be from 10.26am to 3.30pm. The partial eclipse will take place nationwide. But in Serian and Tanjung Piai (Johor) residents can experience the annular eclipse.
The annular eclipse is a phenomenon that happens every 20 years when the moon covers the sun’s centre, causing the sun’s visible outer edge to form a ring-shaped shadow or “annulus” around the moon.
It occurs when the sun, the moon and the earth are aligned.
Meanwhile, the Sultan Iskandar Planetarium will hold the “Serian Division Annular Solar Eclipse Observation Programme” at 10am on Dec 26.
It is organised in collaboration with Planetarium Negara and other local agencies, a press statement said yesterday.
The public observation programme will be held at the LePaPa Hypermarket square in Serian.
Members of the public will be given special glasses free of charge. Telescopes will also be provided to allow for safe viewing.
The last annular solar eclipse that happened in Malaysia was 21 years ago on Aug 22, 1998 which was seen in Mersing, Johor.
For more information, contact the Sultan Iskandar Planetarium at 082-251275 or visit www.planetarium-sarawak.org.
