JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) – The rare and awe-inspiring spectacle of a total solar eclipse will unfold over parts of Indonesia and the Indian and Pacific Oceans on Wednesday, weather permitting. The full eclipse may be visible to several million people within its narrow path including eclipse chasers who have traveled from around the world for a chance to witness it.
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WHAT CAUSES A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE?
At least twice a year, the orbits of the moon and earth result in the moon casting a shadow on the earth that blocks the sun. Most eclipses are partial but when the moon is close enough to the earth, the sun is completely eclipsed and only a faint ring of rays known as the corona is visible. The last total solar eclipse was in March 2015. The best reported viewing was on Norway’s Svalbard islands near the North Pole. The previous total eclipse was in November 2012.
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