Hunting for Solar eclipse? This is phenomenon! A once in a life time experience of every 357 years at the same location. Yes!!! Not even a human lifespan. Our generation are going to be dusts and bones to experience the next solar eclipse other then this year.
Well, I didn’t have a special preparation for it nor I know how it is going to be like either. The total solar eclipse this year will be visible in Indonesia and at the Central Pacific. For Indonesia, you will be able to see it in many parts of the country including Palembang, Ternate, and Central Sulawesi. Indonesia is one of the luckiest country to be able to see the solar eclipse with good visibility.
Besides, I was also one of the luckiest person to be invited to Palembang 2°59’10”S & 104°45’20”E to witness the solar eclipse. I woke up at 4am to get ready and started moving at 4.30am. I walked towards the iconic bridge of Palembang City called Ampera Bridge 2.9917°S & 104.7635°E. I thought it was going to be a quiet early morning, instead people were already bustling towards the bridge. I made myself went up the stairs towards the bridge and found a spot around the centre. It was very crowded and packed with people. The solar eclipse started at 6.20am and ends at 8.20am.
When the process started, the moon was slowly moving within its path entering eclipse – its orbit between the sun and earth in a position where the moon will cover the sun and cast shadow to earth or to where we are witnessing it from during the eclipse.
1 minute away towards Solar Eclipse 2016
The Solar Eclipse 2016
Minutes before 7.20am (the time when total solar eclipse happens), the sky was turning a little bit of grey. Then soon enough there was a count down from 10. People were counting together happily with full spirit and when the clock hits 7.20am, Palembang was dark like night. The sky watchers instantly expressed awe and gasped “Uuuuh” and “Aaaahhh”, jumping excitedly, clapping their hands like it was the worlds celebration. Instantly we all have forgotten our problems. Our consciousness were attached with the magical moment. At that time, I felt the moon has finally show its abilities and specialities to human beings in planet earth. It also reminds me that there is something greater than just the world. There is a huge galaxy outside our reach. There are still many things to discover and learn. The sky was dark from the Moon’s shadow. It was dark grey colour but there were some shades of blue. The moment gave us goosebumps and had our emotions stir within us. We were very grateful for this moment. Eventhough the visibility of the total solar eclipse were cloudy, we could sometimes see it when the cloud dissapear. I was holding my filter sunglasses and to be honest I didn’t really use it because of the dark clouds filling the sky. But the moment of total solar eclipse at 7.20am that lasts for more or less 1 minute 58 seconds, made us satisfied and shed tear. It was a lovely moment.
After the minutes of total eclipse, the moon moves away slowly out of the path and gave way again for the sun rays to touch the earth. The sky then slowly brightens and became normal again until 8.20am.
For more information you may click the link here: www.indonesia.travel
All pictures are taken by Fiona Callaghan
Note from The Adventuress:
Always stay as a Conscious Adventurer with The Adventuress spirit of Peace, Love, Adventure, Nature, and Positivity or PLAN+ in short. With that, you wouldn’t want to harm the nature and destroy it. Rather you would want to explore the earth to learn its beauty as your private experience that will teach you to be a better person each day and value the wonderful creation of God.
Peace & Light,
The Adventuress