By — Corinne Segal Corinne Segal Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/indonesia-solar-eclipse Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter 6 stunning views of this week’s total solar eclipse Nation Mar 9, 2016 9:03 AM EDT A total solar eclipse captivated millions of people in parts of Asia and the Pacific last night. The eclipse began at 6:19 pm EST (6:19 am where the eclipse was visible) and reached totality, with the moon completely blocking the sun, at 7:15 am local time. Other parts of Asia, including Cambodia and India, saw a partial eclipse. Forty million people witnessed the eclipse, during which the moon’s shadow blocked the sun, over three time zones, with each location falling into darkness for several minutes. In parts of Indonesia, where a total eclipse was visible for the first time in 33 years, the event drew tourists and gathered crowds in public places who cheered when darkness fell. It also prompted some Indonesian towns to switch on their street lights during the morning. Check out more views of the eclipse below. Indonesia’s first solar eclipse since 1983 is seen from Ternate island, Indonesia, March 9, 2016. Photo by Beawiharta/Reuters A solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks the sun and its shadow passes over Earth. Photo by Beawiharta/Reuters A solar eclipse is seen from the beach of Ternate island, Indonesia, March 9, 2016. Photo by Beawiharta/Reuters A solar eclipse is seen from the beach of Ternate island, Indonesia, March 9, 2016. Photo by Beawiharta/Reuters A solar eclipse is seen from the beach of Ternate island, Indonesia, March 9, 2016. Photo by Beawiharta/Reuters We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Corinne Segal Corinne Segal Corinne is the Senior Multimedia Web Editor for NewsHour Weekend. She serves on the advisory board for VIDA: Women in Literary Arts. @cesegal
A total solar eclipse captivated millions of people in parts of Asia and the Pacific last night. The eclipse began at 6:19 pm EST (6:19 am where the eclipse was visible) and reached totality, with the moon completely blocking the sun, at 7:15 am local time. Other parts of Asia, including Cambodia and India, saw a partial eclipse. Forty million people witnessed the eclipse, during which the moon’s shadow blocked the sun, over three time zones, with each location falling into darkness for several minutes. In parts of Indonesia, where a total eclipse was visible for the first time in 33 years, the event drew tourists and gathered crowds in public places who cheered when darkness fell. It also prompted some Indonesian towns to switch on their street lights during the morning. Check out more views of the eclipse below. Indonesia’s first solar eclipse since 1983 is seen from Ternate island, Indonesia, March 9, 2016. Photo by Beawiharta/Reuters A solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks the sun and its shadow passes over Earth. Photo by Beawiharta/Reuters A solar eclipse is seen from the beach of Ternate island, Indonesia, March 9, 2016. Photo by Beawiharta/Reuters A solar eclipse is seen from the beach of Ternate island, Indonesia, March 9, 2016. Photo by Beawiharta/Reuters A solar eclipse is seen from the beach of Ternate island, Indonesia, March 9, 2016. Photo by Beawiharta/Reuters We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now