Solar eclipse to cross Indonesia on December 26, 2019

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – A solar eclipse with ring will cross Indonesian territory on December 26, 2019 and Siak Regency in Riau Province is the most ideal location to witness the natural phenomenon, according to information from the Indonesian National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) quoted here, Thursday.

The solar eclipse with ring is expected to start at 12:15 local time, enter the peak phase at 12:17, and end at 12.19 local time.

The ring of a solar eclipse occurs when the moon is in line with the earth and the sun, and the moon is at its farthest point from the earth, causing the moon looks smaller than the sun and does not cover the sun completely.

LAPAN in collaboration with the Siak Regency Administration will hold a Solar Eclipse Festival on December 24-26, 2019.

The event will feature some programs, among others solar eclipse observation which will be carried out by LAPAN along with astronomers and the astronomical community both from home and abroad. This program aims to see the effect of the solar eclipse on the Earth.

In addition, LAPAN will also provide a mini planetarium, training on satellite communication for amateur radio operators, talkshow about the phenomena of solar eclipse, LAPAN’s research and development exhibition, and socialization to students from several schools and universities.

LAPAN also collaborates with the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education to conduct pinhole binocular training for 100 participants as well as an exhibition of solar eclipse photography and obscura cameras that display optical phenomena by making photo objects appear inverted.

Those programs in welcoming the solar eclipse are expected to attract more researchers, astronomers, as well as domestic and foreign tourists.

Reporting by Indonesia Window