Solar Eclipse

Read article from The Star:

KUALA LUMPUR: This century’s longest total solar eclipse can be observed as a partial solar eclipse in Malaysia between 8:23am and 9:48am on Wednesday.

However, it would be difficult to view the phenomenon with naked eyes as only 17.8% of the sun would be obscured by the moon, head of Angkasa space science research unit Mhd Fairos Asillam said.

The northern part of Peninsular Malaysia would be the best place to observe the eclipse, he said in a statement.

The total solar eclipse, which would last for six minutes and 39 seconds, would pass through Ryuku Islands in Japan and through the Pacific Ocean, he said.

Mhd Fairos said the moon’s umbral shadow would begin covering India and then Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and China.

Mhd Fairos said Angkasa, the national space agency, would sent three officers to carry our research and take data as well as images of the eclipse in Jinshan, Shanghai, China.

Several groups would also carry out expeditions in China, among them University of Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysian Islamic Development Department, Malaysian Syarie Astronomy Association, Stargazer Scientific and Falak Online, he said.

Malaysians would be able view the live webcasts of the eclipse through the websites www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/2009/index.html, www.saros.org/index.html and www.eclipsetv.com.

Malaysians would be able to observe a partial solar eclipse on Jan 15, 2010, March 9, 2016 and Dec 26, 2019, he said. -- Bernama

For those who would like to watch the eclipse, you will be able to view the live webcasts of the eclipse through these two websites:

www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/2009/index.html

www.saros.org/index.html.