The longest annular solar eclipse of the millennium, which will last for 11 minutes and 8 seconds, is expected to happen today, January 15 (Friday), between 3:30 pm and 6:04 pm Beijing time.

It will occur in the central path and will cover more than 500 kilometers, and will be most visible in just some parts of Asia including Bangladesh, China, Myanmar and southern India.

At least 10 China provinces will be able to observe this rare phenomenon, in which the Moon will be seen with a bright halo surrounding its circumference. This is the longest annular solar eclipse China will experience in about 1,000 years.

Other Asian countries, like Indonesia, will only see a partial solar eclipse. Hakim Luthfi Malasan, an Indonesian astronomer at the Bosscha Observatory said, “The prime viewing spot in Indonesia will be in Medan, where 50 percent visibility is expected.”

An annular solar eclipse is an astronomical phenomenon that happens when the Sun and the Moon are in line, but the Moon is too distant from the Earth to completely cover the Sun. This causes the Moon to appear like it has a “ring of fire” around it.

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