The total solar eclipse expected on April 8, 2024 will not be visible in the Philippines, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
Although the eclipse won't be visible from the Philippines, PAGASA said it will take place over the Pacific Ocean and certain regions of North America. Consequently, only individuals situated in the United States, Mexico, and Canada will have the opportunity to witness the total eclipse.
“However, a total solar eclipse will occur on April 8, 2024, dubbed the Great North American Eclipse, but it will not be visible in the Philippines. The totality of the solar eclipse will be visible in a narrow strip on the Pacific Ocean, passing 200 nm north of the Marquesas Islands and later in North America, beginning at the Pacific Coast, then ascending in a northeasterly direction through Mexico, the United States, and Canada, before ending in the Atlantic Ocean,” PAGASA said.
“During a total eclipse, some areas in the mentioned places will experience temporary darkness caused by the moon passing in front of the sun,” it added.
The state weather bureau also dismissed rumors of a three-day darkness as false and lacking scientific evidence. The agency stressed that there is no evidence supporting the notion that the Earth's passage through "Photon Belts" leads to the darkness associated with eclipses.
“DOST-PAGASA would like to inform the general public that the news circulating on the internet about the Earth experiencing three days of darkness due to its passage through Photon Belts on April 8, 2024, is a hoax,” it said.
“There is no scientific evidence to support its existence, and its origins are unclear. Astronomers have not observed any evidence of a band of high-energy photons surrounding the Milky Way galaxy. It is said that when the Earth passes through this belt, it triggers various transformative effects, both physical and spiritual. However, there is no scientific proof to support this theory,” it added.
The agency further explained that the concept of the Photon Belt lacks substantial scientific evidence and is considered more pseudoscientific than grounded in legitimate scientific proof.
“Furthermore, it should be noted that the notion of the Earth’s movement through the Photon Belt producing any substantial transformations to our planet is not substantiated by any known laws of physics. This idea originated within the New Age and metaphysical circles and, as such, lacks scientific evidence and is considered pseudoscientific by the scientific community,” it said. (JVD/PIA-NCR)
