Light Pillars and Solar Eclipse: Did you see the beautiful celestial shows over the weekend?
Over the weekend, two awesome celestial shows were witnessed in the Philippines: the light pillars and the partial solar eclipse.
Light pillars spotted by Jeromie Cagayan in Masbate | Source: 24 Oras Weekend
Light Pillars
On Friday evening, June 19, Jeromie Cagayan of Masbate stepped outside to find a spot with a better mobile phone signal. But when he looked up the sky, he was stunned to see the beautiful green pillars of light.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the atmospheric optical phenomenon is called light pillars, and they are formed when ice crystals in the sky reflect light from the moon.
This is not the first time that light pillars have been spotted in the Philippines. On June 30, 2019, Amarkhan Jidara of Sulu has also seen and captured photos of light pillars that appeared in the sky.
Solar Eclipse
The other magical sky show that occurred last weekend on Father's Day, June 21, was the annular solar eclipse. The said eclipse was visible in Africa, Southeast Europe, Asia, and Micronesia.
According to PAGASA's astronomical diary, the annular eclipse happens when the moon is farthest from Earth. Because the moon is farther away from Earth, it seems smaller and does not block the entire view of the sun, thus creating a “ring of fire” effect.
In the Philippines, it was observed as a partial solar eclipse, as captured by Arne Sarmiento in Mandaluyong City.
The next astronomical event this year will happen on July 5 and it is a penumbral lunar eclipse. However, it will not be visible in the Philippines.
But don't worry, there's another penumbral lunar eclipse that will occur on November 30, and it will be visible in our country.
November 30 eclipse visibility map | Source: Wikipedia and NASA
If you're an avid skywatcher, mark your calendar and enjoy the next majestic astronomic show the heavens will have on display in November.
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