Annular eclipse — Arabia, India & Singapore (2019)
On 26 December 2019 an annular eclipse ran from Saudi Arabia across southern India, Sri Lanka, Sumatra and Singapore to Guam. In Singapore the ring of fire hung in the sky for about two minutes around 13:23.
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The story
On 26 December 2019, the day after Christmas, a ring of fire crossed Asia. The Moon's shadow began in eastern Saudi Arabia, passed over Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, and went out over the Arabian Sea. It then crossed Kerala and Tamil Nadu in southern India and northern Sri Lanka, reached Sumatra and Singapore, and continued over Borneo into the Pacific near Guam.
In Singapore the ring formed at about 13:23, with the Sun high in the sky, and lasted about 2 minutes 6 seconds. Because the city lies close to the equator the Sun was high, but December is a rainy season there, so clouds were the biggest worry. Luckily, at many places the ring showed through gaps in the clouds, and many residents saw an annular eclipse for the first time in their lives.
The ring lasted longest, 3 minutes 40 seconds, over the South China Sea not far from Singapore. In Coimbatore and Ooty in southern India the ring appeared in the morning, and over the Arabian peninsula it came soon after sunrise. Because one path linked the Middle East, South Asia and South-East Asia, a great many people watched the same eclipse at very different times of day.
Unlike a total eclipse, an annular eclipse never has a moment when filters can safely come off, so safety advice was stressed that day as well. In Singapore the Moon covered about 94% of the Sun's area, yet the remaining 6% of light was still dangerous to bare eyes. The orbit view reproduces, as if looking down from space, the moment when the Sun, the Moon and Earth line up.
Viewing guide — where, when, how
The ring could be seen starting in eastern Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and Oman, then across Kerala and Tamil Nadu in southern India, northern Sri Lanka, Sumatra, Singapore, Borneo and the area near Guam. Outside that band, the Middle East, East Africa, most of Asia and northern Australia saw a partial eclipse, with only part of the Sun covered. Farther north-east, Japan and Korea saw only a shallow partial eclipse in the afternoon.
An annular eclipse needs certified filters from beginning to end. A high Sun near the equator is especially intense, and even a quick look without protection is dangerous. In cloudy regions it helped to follow the weather forecast and be ready to move to a spot with fewer clouds. Because the ring lasted only about two minutes, even a short gap in the clouds was precious.
The sky view follows the Sun over Singapore and slows down to reproduce the moment the ring is complete. Changing the viewing place to Coimbatore or Muscat recalculates the scene with the local time and the Sun's height there. This lets you compare how the ring looked on a low morning Sun and on a high midday Sun.
See this for yourself — open that sky at that moment · replay the moment in the orbit view
Why this eclipse is special
The path crossed some of the most crowded places on Earth. Cities in southern India and South-East Asia saw the same ring on the same day. In parts of India there are old customs of not eating or not going outside during an eclipse. In such places, simply gathering people to watch the eclipse safely became a chance to learn science.
In Singapore the whole city became an observing site at once. Groups such as the National University of Singapore organised viewing events and gave out guidance. The next annular eclipse visible from Singapore will not come until 2063. Knowing that the wait would be more than forty years encouraged even more people to look up that day.
It was a good chance for scientists as well. During an annular eclipse, just as the ring closes and opens, sunlight slips between mountains and valleys on the Moon's edge and breaks into bright beads. Precise photographs of this, especially under clear desert skies, give data for measuring the shape of the Moon's edge and the size of the Sun. Places with few clouds, such as the Arabian peninsula, were especially well suited to this kind of careful imaging.
Background and earlier eclipses
This eclipse is the 46th member of Saros 132. The previous member of the series was the annular eclipse of 14 December 2001 over Central America, and the next is the annular eclipse of 5 January 2038, which crosses the Atlantic and western Africa. Roughly every eighteen years, a similar eclipse repeats over a different part of the world.
Six months later, on 21 June 2020, a very thin annular eclipse crossed Asia again. Six months earlier, on 2 July 2019, a total eclipse had crossed Chile and Argentina. Around this time Asia and South America took turns hosting eclipses. Eclipses happen at least twice a year, but the part of Earth they cross changes every time.
India sees rings fairly often. After southern India in December 2019, an annular eclipse crossed northern India in June 2020, and another is expected to cross southern India in May 2031. Singapore, by contrast, must wait until 2063 for its next one. The wait for the next ring can differ this much from one country to another.
FAQ
When and how long was the ring over Singapore?
Around 13:23, for about 2 minutes 6 seconds, with the Sun high in the sky.
Where was the ring longest?
Over the South China Sea not far from Singapore, at 3 minutes 40 seconds.
Was it visible from Europe or the Americas?
Not from the Americas, and in Europe only from a small area in the far east. The partial eclipse covered much of Asia, East Africa, northern and western Australia and the Indian Ocean, and the ring was seen only inside the narrow path.
Is an annular eclipse safer than a total one?
It is the opposite. The ring that remains is ordinary sunlight from the Sun's surface, so filters can never come off at any moment.
Related
- The 2020 solstice annular
- The 2031 annular over Kochi
- The 2010 annular over the Maldives
- The Sun — object index
- The Moon — object index
Times and figures are approximate — verify with official sources when planning travel. Simulation uses J2000 mean elements.