Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia will witness an annular solar eclipse on June 21, giving a rare celestial fiesta. The eclipse will be seen in Sharurah governorate at a ratio of 96.16 percent and will be visible for two hours and 42 minutes. In Sharoura, it will start at around 6:59 a.m. and will be peaking at around 8:13 a.m. before ending at 9:41 a.m.

The National Astronomy Center at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) said the eclipse occurs when the moon is perfectly aligned between the sun and the earth. When the moon is farthest from the earth, it looks like a dark disk on top of another bright disk, making the appearance of the sun to be like a ring of fire.

The center said that the eclipse will be seen in the Makkah region at a rate of 70.88 percent with a total duration of two hours and 27 minutes. It will be sighted at 7:04 a.m. and reach its peak at 8:12 a.m. while it will end at 9:31 a.m. In Riyadh, it will be seen at a rate of 73 percent and will last for two hours and 39 minutes. It will be seen at 7:10 a.m. and reach its maximum phase at 8:23 a.m. before ending at 9:49 am.

In the Eastern Province, the total duration of the eclipse is two hours and 45 minutes. It will be seen at 7:14 am, reach its peak at 8:30 a.m., and its end will be at 9:59 a.m., the center said in a statement.