A total solar eclipse is pictured from the city of Ternate, in Indonesia’s Maluku Islands, on March 9, 2016/AFP
TERNATE, Indonesia, March 10 – A total solar eclipse swept across the vast Indonesian archipelago on Wednesday, marked by ecstatic sky gazers cheering the spectacle, devout Muslims kneeling in prayer and tribespeople performing rituals.
The moon began to move between the Earth and sun at 6:19 am (2319 GMT Tuesday), and about an hour later a total eclipse became visible in western parts of the country.
The sun then went entirely dark in a broad arc right across the world’s biggest archipelago nation, which straddles three time zones, before the eclipse swept out across the Pacific Ocean.
Partial eclipses were also visible over other parts of Asia and Australia, and astronomy enthusiasts across the region gathered on rooftops, beaches and in observatories to witness the phenomenon.
Tens of thousands of foreign and Indonesian tourists flocked to the best viewing spots, and special events were organised, from a festival to fun runs and dragon boat races.
“It was spectacular,” said Daniel Orange, a 52-year-old American tourist from California, who was watching the total eclipse on the small western island of Belitung.
“It was very beautiful, there are a lot of people here and when the totality hit, everybody cheered. I got goose bumps.”
– Tribal ritual –
In Ternate, in the eastern Maluku Islands, thousands of people yelled “Glory to God” as the total eclipse became visible, while on the small Mentawai archipelago in the west of the country, hundreds cheered, prayed and hugged one another during the spectacle.
The whole eclipse lasted around three hours in Indonesia, but the total eclipse was visible for between just one-and-a-half and three minutes, depending on location.
The weather stayed clear in many popular viewing spots, although clouds obscured views in some places.
For some of Indonesia’s tribes, the eclipse is viewed with apprehension. In Palangkaraya, on Borneo island, Dayak tribesmen performed a special ritual to ensure that the sun, which they view as the source of life, did not disappear entirely.
As the total eclipse hit, the tribal chief – dressed in a traditional costume – began to chant loudly and was answered by even louder chants from other members of the tribe.
For many in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, it was a spiritual experience, and large numbers flocked to mosques to say special prayers.
Foreign scientists also descended on Indonesia. A four-strong team from NASA was in Maba, a small town in the Malukus, to observe the eclipse.
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