Thousands in Singapore catch glimpse of solar eclipse
PUBLISHED ONMarch 08, 2016 11:42 PM
SINGAPORE - Thousands of people in Singapore woke up to the phenomenon of a solar eclipse on Wednesday (Mar 9) morning.
The spectacle began at around 7.20am, and peaked at 8.23am when 87 per cent of the sun was obscured.
Photo: AsiaOne reader
Sky gazers gathered at various spots around Singapore, including the National University of Singapore, the Singapore Science Centre and Labrador Park to watch the eclipse.
Photo: Facebook / National University of Singapore
Over 300 students and staff from Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School (Secondary) also observed the eclipse through 11 solar telescopes set up in the school's sky garden, The Straits Times reported.
AsiaOne reader Jean Tan sent in two photos, showing how she used a film strip to view the celestial event from her home in Yio Chu Kang.
Photo: AsiaOne reader Jean Tan
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was among those who woke up early to catch the eclipse. However, he said that he was unable to get a good photo of the event, and instead posted a photo taken by one of his staff members on Facebook.
He then asked the public to share with him photos that they had managed to capture.
Another Cabinet Minister, Acting Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, also lamented that he could not get a proper picture of the eclipse. But in a Facebook post, Mr Ong decided to get creative by holding up a small roundish object against the sun, saying that he "went for the next best thing".
Can't get a proper picture of the #solareclipse, so went for the next best thing!
Posted by Ong Ye Kung on Tuesday, March 8, 2016
In Indonesia, the eclipse began at about 6.19am, when the moon began moving between the Earth and the sun, AFP reported.
Solar eclipses occur when the moon passes in between the earth and the sun, casting a shadow on the earth's surface.
In most parts of Asia, the eclipse was partial, but parts of Indonesia experienced a rare total solar eclipse for the first time in two decades.
seanyap@sph.com.sg
Did you catch the #SolarEclipse just now? Here are some shots from our readers. A cloud filter probably works the best!
Posted by AsiaOne on Tuesday, March 8, 2016