MANILA, Philippines -- No clouds were in sight when the moon partially covered the sun early Monday, and gave many Filipinos a chance to see the first eclipse for the year.
Eclipse enthusiasts in Quezon City trooped to the observatory of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration in Diliman and were not disappointed.
But the eclipse viewed by many Filipinos was not the full annular solar eclipse or "ring of fire" seen in the US West Coast. The National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) said that the annular solar eclipse began in southern China, traveling eastward to Japan and the west coast of the US.
The Philippines saw a partial solar eclipse, or 61 percent of the entire annular eclipse, beginning at 4:59 a.m., with the maximum eclipse occurring at around 5:58 a.m. Filipinos saw the eclipse until 7 a.m.
According to the NASA, a partial lunar eclipse will occur on June 4, a total solar eclipse on November 13 and a penumbral lunar eclipse on November 28. None will be fully visible in the Philippines.
source: interaksyon.com
