Next week, July 22, a total eclipse of the Sun will be visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half of Earth. Although it won't be seen in its entirety in the CNMI, sun watchers in the Marianas will still see a partial eclipse, with the shadow of the moon obscuring part of the sun's disc.
The path of the total eclipse will traverse across the North Pacific Ocean and will include the 14 islands of the CNMI.
The first contact is expected to happen at 11:24pm and will totally disappear at about 2:15pm.
On Saipan, the maximum eclipse would be around 12:53pm, with an obscuration of 77.1 percent. On Tinian, the maximum eclipse would be around 12:53pm, with an obscuration of 76.2 percent. Rota residents will see the maximum eclipse at 12:53pm, with a 72.1 percent obscuration.
According to the NASA Web site, the path of the Moon’s umbral shadow will begin in India and cross through Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and China. After leaving mainland Asia, the path will cross Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and curve southeast through the Pacific Ocean where the maximum duration of totality reaches 6 minutes 39 seconds. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much broader path of the Moon’s penumbral shadow, which includes most of eastern Asia, Indonesia, and the Pacific Ocean.
The last time the CNMI experienced a solar eclipse was the annular solar eclipse on June 11, 2002.
An eclipse of the sun occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and for a short period of time blocks the Sun from view. Rarely, the Sun is completely blocked by the Moon and this is referred to as a total eclipse. When only a part of the sun is blocked from view, the event is known as a partial eclipse. The June 11, 2002, event was a special kind of partial eclipse known as an annular eclipse, where the moon blocks out all but a small outer rim of the sun.
The public is urged not to look directly at a solar eclipse without proper eye protection.
In a notice it issued during the 2002 eclipse, the Department of Public Health warned that at no time during the eclipse will it be safe to look at the sun.
“The sun will lose much of its light intensity during the eclipse and it may seem safe to look at the sun during this time. Unfortunately, the damaging rays from the sun will be unaffected by the eclipse and can cause serious damage to the eyes. Looking at an eclipse for even one minute or less without eye protection can cause permanent eye damage, including blindness,” the DPH advisory stated.
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