TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - As the nation gears up to witness the total solar eclipse on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, residents of West Sumatra are facing the prospects of disappointment - as morning fog is expected to block the residents' view of the eclipse from high plains of Bukittinggi, Solok, Tanah Datar, Payakumbuh, as well as parts of Sawahlunto.
"Actually, sunny skies have been predicted across the West Sumatran plateaus, but the elevation of these areas make them highly prone to fog and mist - especially in the morning, when the solar eclipse is predicted to occur," said the Head of Observation and Information for Minangkabau International Airport's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Station, Budi Iman Samiaji on Tuesday, March 8, 2016.
The rare, natural phenomenon is set to take place over West Sumatra before the sun begins to rise above the horizon - as such, when the sun rises above the West Sumatran horizon, a partial solar eclipse could already be seen as the moon begins to align itself with the sun and the earth in its' own orbit.
The peak of the total solar eclipse can be seen at 07.20 Western Indonesia Time (WIB) in West Sumatra, before concluding at 08.27 WIB - with the duration of total coverage by the moon averaging at two hours and six minutes.
FEBRIANTI
