Millions of stargazers watch eclipse

A light rain fell on Tokyo as the eclipse began, but the clouds thinned as it
reached its peak, providing near perfect conditions.

“It was a very mysterious sight,” said Kaori Sasaki, who joined a
crowd in downtown Tokyo to watch event. “I’ve never seen anything like
it.”

At the Taipei Astronomical Museum in Taiwan, the spectacle emerged from dark
clouds for only about 30 seconds. But the view was nearly perfect against
Manila’s orange skies.

“It’s amazing. We do this for the awe (and) it has not disappointed. I am
awed, literally floored,” said astronomical hobbyist Garry Andreassen,
whose long camera lenses were lined up with those of about 10 other gazers
in a downtown Manila park.

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 over a period of more than three
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 disk 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.

Police also cautioned against traffic accidents – warning drivers to keep
their eyes on the road.

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