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Partial phase of a total solar eclipse
Partial phase of a total solar eclipse. Total solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes directly in front of the Sun. They usually occur less than once a year, and can only be seen from a small area of the Earth's surface. This partial phase is what is seen as the Moon moves over the disc of the Sun. This total solar eclipse was observed from Palu, Indonesia on 9 March 2016. Totality lasted for around 2 minutes, but the time from first contact to last contact was much longer, around 2.5 hours. A sunspot (just above and left of centre) is visible on the solar disc, near the leading edge of the Moon.
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