‘Ring of Fire’ solar eclipse delights millions across western US, Asia

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — From a park near Albuquerque, to the top of Japan’s Mount Fuji, to the California coast the effect was dramatic: The moon nearly blotting out the sun creating a blazing “ring of fire” eclipse.

Millions of people across a narrow strip of eastern Asia and the Western U.S. turned their sights skyward for the annular eclipse, in which the moon passes in front of the sun leaving only a golden ring around its edges.

The rare lunar-solar alignment was visible in Asia early Monday before it moved across the Pacific — and the international dateline — where it was seen in parts of the western United States late Sunday afternoon.

People from Colorado, Oklahoma and as far away as Canada traveled to Albuquerque to enjoy one of the best vantage points at a park on the edge of the city.

Members of the crowd smiled and cheered and children yelled with excitement as the moon crossed the sun and the blazing halo of light began to form. Some watched the eclipse by placing their viewing glasses on the front of their smartphones.

Eventually, the moon centered and covered about 96 percent of the sun.

“That’s got to be the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen,” said Brent Veltri of Salida, Colo.

Elsewhere, viewing parties were held at observatories in Reno, Nev., and Oakland, Calif., while skywatchers gathered in coastal and forest counties in California. In some areas, special camera filters for taking photographs have been sold out for weeks in anticipation of the big event.

Yet, while millions were making an effort to view the eclipse, some American Indians were adhering to tradition by staying indoors.

Navajo Bonnie Charley of Monument Valley in northeast Arizona said she follows her tribe’s traditions.

“You’re supposed to stay inside,” said the 75-year-old Charley, whose father was a medicine man. “No eating, drinking or sleeping. That’s for the duration of the eclipse.”

She said Navajo traditions surrounding eclipses stem from their beliefs regarding creation.

The eclipse was broadcast live on TV in Tokyo, where such an eclipse hasn’t been visible since 1839. Japanese TV crews watched from the top of Mount Fuji and even staked out a zoo south of Tokyo to capture the reaction of the chimpanzees — who didn’t seem to notice.

Eclipse tours were arranged in Japan at schools and parks, on pleasure boats and even private airplanes. Similar events were held in China and Taiwan as well, with skywatchers warned to protect their eyes.

A light rain fell on Tokyo as the eclipse began, but the clouds thinned as it reached its peak, providing near perfect conditions.

“It was a very mysterious sight,” said Kaori Sasaki, who joined a crowd in downtown Tokyo to watch event. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

A Japanese zoo said the eclipse apparently made ring-tailed lemurs believe it was evening.

Some 20 lemurs at the Japan Monkey Center in central Japan skipped breakfast, climbed up and jumped between trees and poles, a typical evening behavior, according to the zoo web site. They returned to normal after the eclipse.

“They must be reacting to the eclipse,” zoo director Akira Kato told public broadcaster NHK.

At the Taipei Astronomical Museum in Taiwan, the spectacle emerged from dark clouds for only about 30 seconds. But the view was nearly perfect against Manila’s orange skies.

“It’s amazing. We do this for the awe (and) it has not disappointed. I am awed, literally floored,” said astronomical hobbyist Garry Andreassen, whose long camera lenses were lined up with those of about 10 other gazers in a downtown Manila park.

Hong Kong skywatchers weren’t so lucky.

Several hundred people gathered along the Kowloon waterfront on Hong Kong’s famed Victoria Harbor, most of them students or commuters on their way to work. The eclipse was already under way as the sun began to rise, but heavy clouds obstructed the view.

The eclipse followed a narrow 8,500-mile path for 3 1/2 hours. The ring phenomenon lasted about five minutes, depending on location. People outside the narrow band for prime viewing saw a partial eclipse.

“Ring of Fire” eclipses are not as dramatic as a total eclipse, when the disc of the sun is entirely blocked by the moon. The moon is too far from Earth and appears too small in the sky to blot out the sun completely.

Doctors and education officials have warned of eye injuries from improper viewing. Before the event started, Japan’s Education Minister Hirofumi Hirano demonstrated how to use eclipse glasses in a televised news conference.

Police also cautioned against traffic accidents — warning drivers to keep their eyes on the road.

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Tallmadge reported from Tokyo. Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Wally Santana in Taipei, Hrvoje Hranjski in Manila, Kelvin Chan in Hong Kong and photojournalist Julie Jacobson in Kayenta, Ariz., contributed to this report.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Solar eclipse projects 'ring of fire' across Asia and U.S.

(CNN) -- The shadow of the moon swept across the globe from Hong Kong to the Texas Panhandle as a rare annular solar eclipse began Monday morning in Asia and traversed the Pacific.

The sun appeared as a thin ring behind the moon to people in a narrow path along the center of the track, which began in southern China. Heavy clouds obscured the view in Hong Kong, but residents of Tokyo and other cities were able to get a spectacular view for about four minutes around 7:32 a.m. Monday (6:32 p.m. ET Sunday).

Events were held at schools and museums in Japan, while many more people took in the unusual astronomical event at home or on street corners.

After whizzing across the Pacific, the shadow emerged over northern California and southern Oregon, where thousands of people attended parties to watch the event, the first to appear in the United States since 1994.

Experts warned that hopeful viewers should not peer up at the sky without special viewing equipment, since looking at the sun with the naked eye can cause blindness.

Derek Ralston, a professional photographer, said he used a welding filter to capture a direct view of eclipse in the foothills above Oroville, California. He shared the photo on CNN iReport.

Noting "the rather slim swath of the globe who could see the impact of the eclipse," Ralston said he wanted to enable "the rest of the world to see how clear it looked to those of us who were fortunate enough to see it."

The sliver of sunshine then traveled southeast across central Nevada, southern Utah and northern Arizona, and then New Mexico. It passed over Albuquerque, New Mexico, about 7:34 p.m. (9:34 p.m. ET) before petering out east of Lubbock, Texas, according to NASA.

An annular eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and sun at the farthest point of its orbit, meaning it will block less than the entire sun. That leaves a large, bright ring around it as it passes.

Patrick Wiggins, a NASA ambassador in Salt Lake City, said he always looked forward to seeing people's reactions to such events.

"You get everything from stoic, staring into the sky ... to people breaking down and crying, they're just so moved," he said.

Aaron Lin, an 8th-grade student from Moraga, California, said a tree in his family's yard had served as unexpected natural viewing device on Sunday.

The leaves of the tree, whose shadow falls on the side of the family's house, broke up the light from the eclipse into scores of tiny crescents on the wall, he said.

"I was so shocked by these shadows because it looked like a painting or computer art," said Aaron, 13.

Did you view the eclipse? Share your photos with CNN iReport and they could be featured on CNN.

The next solar eclipse will be on November 13, and is expected to be visible over northern Australia, according to NASA.

Solar eclipse projects 'ring of fire' across Asia, Pacific

(CNN) -- The shadow of the moon started sweeping across the globe from Hong Kong to the Texas Panhandle as a rare annular solar eclipse began Monday morning in Asia.

The sun appeared as a thin ring behind the moon to people in a narrow path along the center of the track, which began in southern China. Heavy clouds obscured the event in Hong Kong, but Tokyo residents could get a spectacular view for about four minutes around 7:32 a.m. Monday (6:32 p.m. ET Sunday).

Across the Pacific Ocean, thousands of people planned viewing parties to watch the event, the first to appear in the United States since 1994.

"I recommend anyone who has the chance to see this, because while they do happen occasionally, it's a fairly rare event," said Jeffrey Newmark, a solar physics specialist with NASA. "It's a neat thing to see."

After sweeping across the Pacific, the shadow emerged over northern California and southern Oregon. It was then to travel southeast across central Nevada, southern Utah and northern Arizona, and New Mexico. It will pass over Albuquerque, New Mexico, about 7:34 p.m. (9:34 p.m. ET) before petering out east of Lubbock, Texas, according to NASA.

More than 80% of the sun will be blocked out during the apex, Newmark said -- but the full effect will be visible only to observers within 200 feet (61 meters) of the track.

"This will cause less change in the daylight than you might think," said Alan MacRobert, a senior editor at Sky & Telescope magazine. "Moderately thin clouds would dim the sunlight more. And if you're where the eclipse is only partial, the dimming will be less."

One of the best views was expected to be in Kanarraville, Utah, a town of about 300. But Bonnie Char, spokeswoman for the Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism Bureau, said as many as 1,000 people may be in town for the eclipse. The Brian Head Resort in Utah is opening its ski lift so people can watch the eclipse from atop a mountain peak of more than 11,000 feet. For $8, visitors will get a ride up the mountain and solar glasses, Char said.

And instead of football fans, the University of Colorado Boulder's Folsom Field will be occupied by astronomy enthusiasts on Sunday.

"In order to provide the best viewing angles, attendance for the event is limited to 13,000 inside the stadium," the university said on its website.

An annular eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and sun at the farthest point of its orbit, meaning it will block less than the entire sun. That will leave a large, bright ring around it as it passes.

Patrick Wiggins, a NASA ambassador in Salt Lake City, said he always looks forward to seeing people's reactions.

"You get everything from stoic, staring into the sky ... to people breaking down and crying, they're just so moved," he said.

The next solar eclipse will be on November 13, and is expected to be visible over northern Australia, according to NASA.

Newmark said people should not peer up at the sky to view the solar event without special viewing equipment. Looking at the sun with the naked eye can cause blindness.

Eclipse glasses, dark welder's goggles or an astronomer's filter made for sun viewing are recommended if people want to look skyward.

Another way to view the eclipse is by using binoculars and telescopes to project an image of it on the ground, Newmark said. Point the binoculars or telescopes at the sun -- without looking through the lenses -- and aim the other end onto a piece of paper or cardboard.

Planning to view the eclipse? Share your photos with CNN iReportand they could be featured on CNN.

Solar eclipse 2012: L.A.'s last show in '92 obscured by clouds

In 1992, Los Angeles was to have the best solar eclipse it would see in more than two centuries. It was going to be spectacular — a full, exquisite "ring of fire" eclipse before sunset.

And then, to the horror of 15,000 people who gathered at Griffith Observatory in the Hollywood Hills, no eclipse came. Clouds canceled the show. 

"We can't see anything," Jonathon Lee lamented to The Times that fateful Saturday evening on Jan. 4. 

So, friends, let us learn the lessons of 1992. Let us learn how to avoid the painful disappointment of a cloudy eclipse. In Los Angeles, the eclipse will begin Sunday at 5:24 p.m., hit its maximum at 6:38 p.m. and end at 7:42 p.m., just 10 minutes before sunset.

Step 1: On the California coast, beware of the fog and low clouds. 

In 1992, many flocked to the beaches and were horribly disappointed when, in the words of one viewer, Ryan Thorp, "the dumb cloud got in the way."

Back then, the clouds were heralding a winter storm. But the clouds that Southern Californians may have to fear this weekend are those typical for our "May Gray" climate, where low clouds rush in from the sea at night — coming in early as 5 p.m. or as late as 10 p.m., said National Weather Service meteorologist Curt Kaplan.

Kaplan said it's too early to know what the forecast will be Sunday, but low clouds can sometimes hang on the coast all day or stay off the coast until well after dark.

A safer bet, cloud-wise, would be to watch the view further inland, in the valleys, mountains and desert.

"You're taking a chance if you're doing it from the coast. But it could be clear. The last few days, it's been clear here" in Oxnard, Kaplan said. 

But be sure that you have an unobstructed view of the northwest horizon. And it's best to be watching from an elevated position, according to Griffith Observatory director Ed Krupp.

In fact, in 1992, some people did see the eclipse along the coast. It just depended where you stood. (To be fair, you had to have an unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean to see the '92 eclipse, because its peak event happened mere minutes before sunset. But Sunday's peak event will occur more than an hour before sunset, when the sun is higher in the sky.)

Step 2: Wherever you go, get there early. 

If you decide to ignore Step 1, then prepare for big crowds at the beaches. In 1992, parking lots were jammed all along the coast. The Times reported that cars were backed up for miles along the two main routes into Laguna Beach, and Main Street was nearly as crowded as on the Fourth of July holiday.

But the crowds this Sunday could be tempered by the fact that this weekend's event in Southern California will be a partial eclipse, not a full "ring of fire." Nonetheless, it'll still be impressive, with 86% of the sun's diameter eaten by the moon.

For the full "ring of fire" experience, you would have to go to Albuquerque, the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park in Utah or such spots in Northern California as Eureka, Redding, the northern suburbs of Sacramento or Lake Tahoe. 

National parks seem to be popular for this weekend's eclipse-watching, offering wide, unobstructed vistas of the horizon.

Step 3: Be prepared for disappointment.

Sometimes, the weather will just get the best of you. 

In 1992, The Times reported on how Jeff Sloan, an engineer and eclipse buff, spent weeks touring Orange County to map the very best vantage point. He was an experienced veteran, having traveled as far as Kenya, Java and Baja California to watch astronomical delights. 

He finally decided on a vacant lot high in the hills of San Clemente, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, The Times reported. 

After setting up an array of cameras and telescopes, he and about 20 friends waited. Then the sun sank behind a bank of clouds for most of the eclipse. 

Bonus question: When will the next full eclipse be in the continental United States?

If you ignore this weekend's eclipse, the next time a full eclipse will come to the lower 48 states will be on Aug. 21, 2017. But that one will be further from L.A., coming in through Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, southern Illinois, western Kentucky, Tennessee and South Carolina. The 2017 event will be a "total" eclipse, which is far more spectacular than this weekend's "annular" eclipse. An annular eclipse is when the moon covers up most of the sun except for the sun's outer fringe, leaving visible a ring of fire, or "annulus," which is Latin for ring. 

A total eclipse, by contrast, blocks so much sunlight that the ground is cast in an eerie midday twilight — a far more breathtaking experience. 

So when is the next time L.A. will see its own annular or total eclipse?

The next annular eclipse in Los Angeles will happen in 2121, according to calculations by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center scientist Fred Espenak. And the next total eclipse? None is expected through 3000 AD.

A list of significant partial eclipses, past and future, from Los Angeles, can be found here.

Solar Eclipse 2012: National Parks To Give Good View Of Sunday's 'Ring Of Fire'

By: Nola Taylor Redd, OurAmazingPlanet Contributor
Published: 05/15/2012 03:58 PM EDT on OurAmazingPlanet

When the sun vanishes behind the moon for the first time over the United States in this century, what better place to enjoy the view than from one of the 154 national parks that stand in its path?

Astronomy lovers in the United States will be treated to a partial disappearance of the sun behind the moon this Sunday (May 20). Only the Eastern Seaboard will be totally exempt. Over the course of the solar eclipse, the sun won't vanish completely, but will remain as a ring around the moon for what is known as an annular eclipse. When the eclipse occurs, the moon will be near its most distant point from Earth, making it appear smaller in the sky and thus unable to block the entire sun. But it will still be a stunning sight.



Thirty-three national parks will see the full effect of the moon's interference. Many western parks will be offering an array of events for their guests, ranging from placing telescopes out for viewing up to a full-scale astronomy festival.

"We're lucky that so many parks happen to lie within the path of the annular eclipse," Grand Canyon park ranger Marker Marshall told OurAmazingPlanet.
The Grand Canyon park staff, along with the help of the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, will be setting up solar telescopes and helping people safely view the eclipse. NASA scientists will be present to talk about the eclipse, as well as recent lunar findings. They will also have eclipse glasses for sale and will demonstrate how to use binoculars to safely set up a projection of the eclipse on a piece of paper. After the eclipse, the park will host a star party. [Top 10 Most Visited National Parks]

Marshall noted that, like other national parks, the Grand Canyon boasts signs warning people not to look directly at the sun, or to view the sun through telescopes, binoculars or cameras without a solar filter. Doing so will damage your eyes.

At Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, the annual Astronomy Festival has been moved to coincide with eclipse weekend. Great Basin National Park in Nevada will hold a pre-eclipse party Saturday night with a presentation by an actor playing Galileo, and a special program on Sunday. Several parks will instruct guests on how to make a pinhole viewer of their own to safely observe the eclipse. Several other parks are receiving assistance from their local amateur astronomy clubs to help the public safely watch the show.

Visitors should bring flashlights and jackets, especially if they plan to stay after the eclipse concludes.

"People come to parks to enjoy a dark night sky, and see things like the Milky Way," Marshall said.

"We can really facilitate people seeing even daytime events," she added.

A spectacular view

But Marshall warns that, while the eclipse will make an interesting image, it won't necessarily make a great photograph.

Aiming a camera at the eclipse unprotected could damage it. Hopeful photographers need to add a solar filter to their setup, which will wash out the view of the landscape.

"The casual photographer won't be able to get a photo of the eclipse over the canyon," she said.

Instead, she urges people to enjoy the image captured in their memory.

And there will be plenty of memories made. According to Marshall, all of the campgrounds and hotels around the Grand Canyon that take reservations are booked. Though the first-come, first-serve campgrounds are still available, she anticipates that they, too, will fill quickly, leaving hopeful visitors with a drive of more than an hour to the nearest hotel.

Although only a handful of western parks will receive the full effect of the eclipse, another 125 parks lay along the path of the partial eclipse, where they will provide a stunning view to those not fortunate enough to see the complete show. From Alaska to Minnesota, national parks will catch a partial eclipse or a partial view.

"Astronomy generally is the kind of thing people look for in national parks, so we're glad to help people celebrate it here," Marshall said.