By / MOOK Scenic Spots Home Travel Life Network Editorial Department compiled report
The Central Weather Administration has released information on astronomical phenomena for March. From 8:16 AM to 11:38 AM Taiwan Time on the 9th, a total solar eclipse lasting a total of 3 hours and 22 minutes will occur, but in Taiwan, only about a 2-hour partial solar eclipse will be visible.
Taiwan will witness a partial solar eclipse lasting approximately two hours on March 9. (Image source / Taipei Astronomical Museum)
This total solar eclipse will pass over parts of the Pacific Ocean, as well as certain land areas including Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, and the Halmahera islands of Indonesia. Only these regions will experience the total eclipse, lasting 2 to 4 minutes. Other areas, including the Indian Peninsula, East Asia, Australia, and the northwestern tip of North America, will see varying degrees of a partial solar eclipse. In Taiwan, the partial eclipse will last about 2 hours, with approximately 20–27% of the sun's disk obscured when viewed from north to south. Additionally, on March 23, there will also be a penumbral lunar eclipse. In Taiwan, it will appear as a partial eclipse during moonrise, but the dimming of the moon during a penumbral eclipse is very slight and not easily noticeable to the general public.
Taiwan region solar eclipse timeline. (Image source / Central Weather Administration)
This solar eclipse is the first one visible in Taiwan since 2012. In Taipei, the “initial phase” (first contact) begins at 8:19:27 AM on March 9 (Taiwan Time), when the sun is located slightly southwest at an elevation of 28 degrees. At this time, the right side of the sun’s disk will begin to be partially covered by the moon, creating a visible notch. The notch will then gradually extend downward, and by 9:14:50 AM, which is the “maximum eclipse” in Taipei, the largest portion of the sun will be obscured—about 20% of the lower right part of the sun’s disk will be covered by the moon. The eclipse process will conclude with the “final contact” at 10:15:19 AM, making the entire partial solar eclipse duration approximately 1 hour, 55 minutes, and 52 seconds.