Partial solar eclipse can be best seen in Batanes; around 60% in Metro Manila on June 21

Filipinos will have a chance to see the partial solar eclipse on Father's Day on Sunday, June 21.

The partial annular solar eclipse will be visible in the Philippines from 3 to 5:30 p.m., according to IMReady.

Those in Batanes, however, will be able to view it best, PAGASA weather forecaster Lorie dela Cruz said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB early Sunday.

The climax will be best seen in Itbayat, Batanes at around 4:18 p.m., she said.

"'Yung maximum na puwedeng makita 'yung ring of fire ay sa part ng eastern Batanes. Dito sa Metro Manila, okay na rin," dela Cruz said.

In Metro Manila, the climax of the partial solar eclipse will be 60% visible at around 4:23 p.m., she said.

For the rest of Northern and Southern Luzon, the climax can also be viewed around 4 p.m., dela Cruz added.

"The Northern most areas of Luzon will have a good view of the partial solar eclipse, having an eclipse obscuration of up to 91% while the Visayas and the Mindanao areas’ eclipse obscuration ranges from 52-66% and 43-58%, respectively. An Eclipse Obscuration is the fraction of the Sun’s surface area occulted or covered by the Moon," PAGASA said in its website.

During the partial solar eclipse, the moon will pass between the earth and the sun, she explained.

This has no effect on the weather, dela Cruz said.

The PAGASA weather forecaster reminded the public not to look directly at the sun during the partial solar eclipse to avoid eye damage.

Binoculars and telescopes are also not safe to use unless these have solar filters, dela Cruz said.

She advised the public to have paper ready and have the binoculars focused on the paper to see the shape of the moon covering part of the sun.

Dela Cruz also said one can use paper and box to make a projector to view the eclipse.

Eye shields such as those used for welding may also be used, she added. 

The rare "ring of fire" eclipse on Sunday will also be visible along a narrow band from west Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, India, southern China, according to a report by Agence France-Presse.

It will first be seen in northeastern Republic of Congo before sunrise at 5:56 a.m. local time, with a blackout lasting for 1 minute and 22 seconds.

The exact alignment of the Earth, Moon and Sun will be visible for only 38 seconds, AFP said.

Summer solstice

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, summer solstice also occurs on Sunday, June 21.

This will be when the night is shortest and the day is longest.

"Philippine nights are at their shortest and daytimes are at their longest during the Summer Solstice, which falls on June 21 at 5:44 A.M. (Philippine Standard Time). This is the time when the Sun attains its greatest declination of +23.5 degrees and passes directly overhead at noon for all observers at latitude 23.5 degrees North, which is known as the Tropic of Cancer. This event marks the start of the apparent southward movement of the Sun in the ecliptic," PAGASA said in its website. —KG, GMA News