Millions in Asia, U.S. look skyward to view eclipse

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Skywatchers from Mount Fuji to the Grand Canyon enjoyed a treat: the moon nearly blotting out the sun to create a dramatic “ring of fire” over a narrow strip of eastern Asia and the western United States.

The annular eclipse, in which the moon passes in front of the sun leaving only a golden ring around its edges, was visible in Asia early Monday. It then moved across the Pacific — and the international dateline — and was seen in parts of the western United States on Sunday afternoon.

In Japan, “eclipse tours” were arranged at schools and parks, on pleasure boats and even private airplanes. Similar events were held in China and Taiwan as well, with skywatchers warned to protect their eyes.

In the U.S., viewing parties were held at observatories in Reno, Nev., and Oakland, Calif., and elsewhere. In some areas, special camera filters for taking photographs have been sold out for weeks in anticipation of the big event.

Hong Kong skywatchers weren’t so lucky.

Several hundred people gathered along the Kowloon waterfront on Hong Kong’s famed Victoria Harbor, most of them students or commuters on their way to work. The eclipse was already underway as the sun began to rise, but heavy clouds obstructed the view.

The eclipse followed a narrow 8,500-mile path for 3.5 hours. The ring phenomenon lasted about five minutes, depending on location. People outside the narrow band for prime viewing saw a partial eclipse.

“Ring of Fire” eclipses are not as dramatic as a total eclipse, when the disc of the sun is entirely blocked by the moon. The moon is too far from Earth and appears too small in the sky to blot out the sun completely.

Doctors and education officials have warned of eye injuries from improper viewing. Before the event started, Japan’s Education Minister Hirofumi Hirano demonstrated how to use eclipse glasses in a televised news conference.