From a park near Albuqerque 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 US tuned their sight skyward for the annual 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 today before it moved across the Pacific and the international dateline where it was seen in parts of the western united state last Sunday afternoon.
People from Colorado Oklahoma and as far away as Canada traveled to Albuqerque to enjoy the one of the best vantage points of the park on the edges of the city Members of the crowed smiled and cheered and children with excitement as the moon crossed the sun and the blazing halo light began to form some watched the eclipse by placing their viewing glasses on the front of their smart phones.
Eventually the moon centered and covered about 96% of the sun that is got to be the prettiest thing I have ever seen said Brent Veltri of Salida Colorado Elsewhere viewing parties were held at observatories in Reno Nevada and Oakland while sky watchers gathered in coastal and forest counties in California in some areas special camera filter for taking photographs have been sold out for weeks in anticipation of the big event.
The eclipse was broadcast live on TV in Tokyo where such has eclipse has not been visible since 1839. Japanese TV crew watched from the top of Mount Fuji and even staked out a Zoo south of Tokyo to capture the reaction the chimpanzees who did not seem to noice. Eclipse tours were arranged in Japan in school and parks on pleasure boats and even private airplanes similar event were held in China and Taiwan as well with skywatchers warned to project their eyes. A light rain on fell Tokyo as te eclipse began but the clouds as it reaches peak provided near perfect conditions.
It was a very mysterious sight said Kaori Sasaki who joined a crowed in down town Tokyo to watch event I have never seen anything like it a Japanese zoo said the eclipse apparently made ring tailed lemurs believe it was evening some 20 lemur at the Japan Monkey Centre in central Japan skipped breakfast climbed up and jumped between trees and poles according to the zoo web site they retuned to normal after the eclipse.