2016 Eclipse

"This eclipse is a very rare and beautiful phenomenon, and we need to be able to turn it into an event that will attract both local and foreign tourists - especially considering that such eclipses will only happen again in 250 years time," said the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs, Indroyono Soesilo to the press in Jakarta on Tuesday, July 7, 2015.

To see the total eclipse in March of 2016, you must be within the path of totality (shaded in blue on the map above); and to see a total eclipse lasting for a decent length of time, you want to be towards the center of the path (center-line). However, you don't need to be at the exact center; the duration falls off very slowly from the middle, and more quickly at the edges. Anywhere in the middle third of the path will let you see a total eclipse within about 90% of the duration on the center-line.

In terms of where to be along the path, this isn't quite as important; however east is generally better, as the point of maximum eclipse is out in the Pacific. The shortest duration seen in Indonesia is 1 minute 53 seconds on Pagai-Utara island in the west; and the longest is 3 minutes 20 seconds in Halmahera in the east.

Great video on movement of the 2016 Eclipse:

Let us break down the travels of the 2016 total solar eclipse:

Sumatra, Bangka, Belitung

The total eclipse begins in the Indian Ocean at sunrise, 00:15:57 UT, and crosses quickly to Indonesia. It reaches land at Pagai Utara island, where on the center line the total eclipse will last from 00:18:16–00:20:09 UT, 1 minute 53 seconds. The path of totality is 107 km (66.5 miles) wide at this point.

The total eclipse arrives on the mainland of Sumatra less than a minute later, and crosses the island to the east. Palembang will see the partial eclipse from 23:20:29 on 8 Mar–01:31:26 UT; the total eclipse will last from 00:20:49–00:22:40 UT, 1 minute and 51 seconds.

The eclipse track crosses southern Bangka Island, then Belitung Island, where the northern part of the island will see 2 minutes 13 seconds of total eclipse from 00:23:03–00:25:16 UT; the partial eclipse will last from 23:21:11 on 8 Mar–01:36:08 UT.

Borneo

After this the total eclipse crosses to Borneo, passing through the southern part of the island. Palangka Raya is virtually on the center-line, and will see the partial eclipse from 23:23:29 on 8 Mar–01:46:55 UT; the total eclipse will last from 00:28:58–00:31:28 UT, for 2 minutes 30 seconds of total eclipse.

Sampit, sees 2 minutes 8 seconds of totality; and Amuntai 1 minute 50 seconds. In both towns, moving a few miles north will yield a longer total eclipse. Balikpapan is close to the north edge of the eclipse path, and will see a short eclipse; one minute and 15 seconds on the south edge of town, and virtually zero at the north side of town. Moving down to the Teluk Adang area would provide a much better spectacle: on the coast just south of Teluk Adang the total eclipse will last for 2 minutes 38 seconds, and will be seen from 00:32:05–00:34:43 UT.

Sulawesi

After crossing the Makassar Strait- the path of the total eclipse crosses Central Sulawesi. The center-line of the eclipse touches the north edge of Danau Lindu; here, the partial eclipse will last from 23:27:44 on 8 Mar–02:00:38 UT, and the total eclipse will be seen from 00:37:23–00:40:13 UT, for a total eclipse lasting 2 minutes 50 seconds. The path of totality is 134 km (83.3 miles) wide at this point. Palu is within the total eclipse zone, but well to the north, and sees just 2 minutes 3 seconds of total eclipse; moving south a bit would yield a longer eclipse. Poso is closer to the center-line, and sees 2 minutes 41 seconds of total eclipse with the maximum at 00:39:42 UT.

The total eclipse path runs up Central Sulawesi on the coast of the Gulf of Tomini. Luwuk, just south of the center-line, sees the partial eclipse from23:30:08 on 8 Mar–02:07:16 UT; the total eclipse will last from 00:41:49–00:44:39 UT, 2 minutes and 50 seconds of totality. From here the path of totality moves off into the Moluccas Sea.

Halmahera

The center of the total eclipse passes between Moti and the Makian islands and into Halmahera. With the path of totality being 144 km (89.5 miles) wide at this point, anyone within about 24 km (14.9 miles) of the center-line will see about 90% of the best duration; even Ternate, quite far north of the center-line, will see an eclipse lasting 2 minutes 41 seconds. Waleh will see totality for 3 minutes 11 seconds, from 00:52:33–00:55:44 UT; the partial eclipse will last from 23:36:39 on 8 Mar–02:22:27 UT.

The path of totality passes over Jiew Island; though the center-line is a little north of the island, it will still see 3 minutes 15 seconds of total eclipse, from 00:54:42–00:57:58 UT. The last place in Indonesia to see the total eclipse is tiny Fani island, which is south of the center but sees 2 minutes 14 seconds of total eclipse, from 00:59:57–01:02:10 UT.

Woleai

After that, the path of the eclipse passes just south of Helen Reef and heads off into open ocean. However, the best place to see the total eclipse is yet to come — tiny Woleai Atoll, which is directly under the path of the total solar eclipse. Here, at Falealop, the partial eclipse will last from 00:09:59–03:14:37 UT; the total solar eclipse will last from 01:38:05–01:42:10 UT, for a stunning 4 minutes 5 seconds of totality. Ifalik is quite far south of the center-line but sees a still impressive 3 minutes 38 seconds of totality, from 01:39:33–01:43:11 UT.

Let's take a look at the animation of the 2016 Eclipse path:

Solar eclipse animate (2016-Mar-09).GIF