KUCHING: A total solar eclipse will take place today, however the phenomenon will not be visible in Malaysia.
The Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) said the total solar eclipse phenomenon will begin at 11:42:15 today and end on April 9 at 04:52:19 Malaysian time.
“This phenomenon will not be visible in Malaysia as the shadow paths of the moon’s umbra and penumbra do not pass through any areas of Malaysia at that time,” it said in a statement on its official website.
However, sky-gazers across the nation can still observe the eclipse through various online media platforms that will be live-streaming the event.
“Some of these platforms include space.com; science.nasa.gov; and https://www.exploratorium.edu,” it said.
MYSA further explained that the phenomenon of the total solar eclipse take place one day after the moon reaches perigee, which is the closest point of the moon to earth in its orbit around earth with a distance of 358,850 km, and the magnitude of this total solar eclipse is 1.0566.
“This total solar eclipse phenomenon can be observed in Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
“The path of the total solar eclipse (the shadow path of the moon’s umbra) with a width of 142 to 202 km will begin in the South Pacific Ocean, crossing Northern Mexico, 15 states in the United States and then crossing six Canadian provinces before ending in the Atlantic Ocean.
“The longest maximum eclipse duration, which lasts for 4 min and 28 sec, can be observed in Torreon, Mexico,” it said.
It added the partial solar eclipse will also be visible in the broader penumbral shadow of the moon and can be observed throughout North America and Central America.
The last solar eclipse took place on Aug 21, 2017.
