[PHOTOS] Netizens React To The Annular Solar Eclipse That Only Happens Once Every 20 Years
Did you see it too?
By May Vin Ang — 26 Dec 2019, 08:47 PM
By now, you should know about the annular solar eclipse that happened today, 26 December, or at least saw someone posting about it on social media
Today's event was special as the National Planetarium told New Straits Times that an annular eclipse only happens once every 20 years.
In contrary to the partial and total solar eclipses, this natural phenomenon occurs when the moon covers the sun's centre, causing the sun's visible outer edge to form a ring-shaped shadow or a 'ring of fire'.
According to Malay Mail, the last formation of an annular solar eclipse was on 28 August 1998, and the next such eclipse will happen on 21 May 2031.
Visitors looking at the annular solar eclipse during a viewing in Penang today, 26 December.
Image via Sayuti Zainudin/Malay MailSome people took phenomenal photos
We were watching too! This was taken at the SAYS office.
While the cloudy sky affected the experiences of others
"Expectations versus reality," tweeted this netizen who did not get to witness the extraordinary event.
While another was actually thankful for some clouds.
There were also crescent-shaped shadows everywhere
According to the University of Illinois, the shadows appear as the eclipse progresses and as the moon covers more of the sun.
Colours begin to lose their contrast and shadows on the floor appear much sharper.
Anything that can cast a shadow while still allowing some light to filter through, such as the tiny gaps between the leaves of a tree, creates tiny-crescents on the ground.
Some netizens showed how important it was to view the solar eclipse with the right equipment
As mentioned in Forbes, you need to wear solar eclipse glasses to protect your eyes from damage, and place a solar filter on your camera to protect it too.
But some people found a workaround and watched the solar eclipse from a bucket of water!
As this Twitter user said, any protective measure is better than watching the eclipse with your bare eyes.
Meanwhile, we think some people didn't actually see the right eclipse
