Thousands of peole prayed, cheered, danced, beat drums and observed other traditions today as a total eclipse of the sun darkened a wide area of Indonesia and the southern Philippines. The sun was blacked out by the shadow of the moon for up to four minutes along a 108-mile swath that moved from the Indian Ocean across Indonesia and the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. A partial eclipse was visible across a wide area of Asia as far west as India _ including Southeast Asia, China, Japan and New Guinea as well as parts of Australia and the Pacific islands. Scientists said the eclipse would end at sunset in the Gulf of Alaska. Clouds obscured the solar spectacular in Jakarta, Indonesia, Hong Kong and in the eastern Mindanao city of Davao, where thousands of tourists and scientists had gathered to observe the eclipse. But it was visible for about 3 minutes in this city about 650 miles southeast of Manila despite early scattered clouds. President Corazon Aquino flew in to witness the event. Richard Fisher of the High Altitude Observatory in Boulder, Colo., said that despite scattered clouds, scientists were confident they had taken useful pictures of the eclipse. In Jakarta, Wilson Sinambela of the National Institute of Aeronautics said a total eclipse was observed in several parts of the country, including by about 1,000 tourists in the South Sumatra capital Palembang. He said thousands of Indonesians prayed and beat drums to herald the start of the eclipse, which began in southwestern Sumatra before heading on to the Philippines. In Kuala Lumpur, where a partial eclipse blocked out about 80 percent of the sun, some Malaysian Hindus visited temples to pray for protection against harm during the eclipse. In Kurukshetra, India, an estimated 1 million pilgrims dipped into the waters of the sacred Sannihit and Brahmsarover tanks after a public address system announced the start of the eclipse. Hymns were chanted and conch shells blown during the ceremony about 90 miles north of New Delhi. Clouds blocked the first moments of the eclipse in General Santos City. But the cloud cover broke, setting off wild cheering among the thousands who watched the phenomenon in a scorching tropical heat. Street lights switched on, and members of the Naragcas tribe, in the city for a festival, danced in the streets to the beat of drums. In Baguio City, 130 miles north of Manila, pregnant women of the local Ilocano community rinsed their hair during the eclipse with water dripped from burned rice straws in a traditional ritual. According to local superstition, babies conceived during or shortly before an eclipse will be deformed unless their mothers practice the ritual. Many other Filipinos marked the eclipse by going to church. The Philippines is Asia's only predominately Christian country. ``This phenomenon is a clear reminder from God for mankind to repent its sins,'' said Theresa Teopengco, a government employee. Officials said about 20,000 tourists and scientists from around the world had come to the southern Philippines to watch the eclipse, the last one expected here for at least 50 years. Scientists said the area afforded the best opportunity to witness and study the eclipse because skies are usually clear this time of year. But in Davao City, 60 miles to the northeast, morning clouds sent hundreds scurrying to the airport for flights to General Santos. Church bells in Davao tolled while police and civilians set off firecrackers and fired weapons in the air to mark the eclipse. In Manila, thousands turned out under clear skies to see the partial eclipse that blocked about 75 percent of the sun's surface at its height. Police said four people were injured when a passenger bus collided with a jeep during the eclipse. ``The drivers were probably looking skyward when the accident occurred,'' said policeman Ricardo Manansala. ``It's impossible to gaze at the sky and drive a vehicle at the same time.'' Solar eclipses occur when the moon positions itself between the Earth and the sun. The Chinese first recorded a total solar eclipse in 2137 B.C., regarding them as signs of a battle to death between the sun and the dragon.
Today, a total eclipse of the sun darkened a wide area of Indonesia and the southern Philippines. The sun was blackened out by the shadow (sic) of the moon for up to four minutes along a 108-mile swath that moved from the Indian Ocean across Indonesia and the Philippine island of Mindanao. A partial eclipse was visible across a wide are of Asia, from Japan to India. In Indonesia, where more than half the population lives in cities, people were advised not to go outside after sunset. The Chinese first recorded a total solar eclipse in 2137B.C.