Jakarta, Jan 27, 2016 (Antara)- Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Rizal Ramli on January 25 chaired a meeting to discuss preparations for organizing various cultural events to coincide with the Total Solar Eclipse (STE) occurrence on March 9 this year.
This rare and spectacular natural phenomenon should serve as a momentum to boost Indonesia's tourism industry, according to Tourism Minister Arief Yahya who was present in the coordination meeting which was also attended by regional administration heads.
This rare and spectacular natural phenomenon should serve as a momentum to boost Indonesia's tourism industry, according to Tourism Minister Arief Yahya who was present in the coordination meeting which was also attended by regional administration heads.
The minister is optimistic that the TSE tours, cultural events, festivals and adventurous activities to be organized in many regions would help the government achieve its targets of receiving 12 million foreign tourists and 260 million domestic travelers this year.
The government hopes to generate foreign exchange amounting to Rp172 trillion from foreign tourists and Rp223.6 trillion from domestic tourists.
The tourism sector is expected to contribute five percent to the gross domestic product and create 11.7 million job opportunities.
"The provincial, district, and municipal administrations whose regions will lie in the path of the shadow of the TSE, have made preparations to organize several interesting events to lure the tourists," he remarked.
The eclipse will be visible for around two to three minutes in 12 provinces: Bengkulu, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, Jambi, Bangka Belitung, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, West Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, and North Maluku.
Cities where the phenomenon can be witnessed include Palembang, Tanjung Pandang, Palangkaraya, Balikpapan, Palu, Ternate, and Sofifi.
The South Sumatra administration, for instance, will organize a glowing night run, a supernatural community ritual, cultural performances, an international photography festival, a 30-meter-long barongsai show, release of thousands of lampoons, and an educational tour for students organized jointly with the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN).
During the 2012 total solar eclipse phenomenon, Queensland in Australia had managed to attract 60 thousand visitors, including 1.2 thousand Japanese researchers, who came aboard chartered flights.
During the 2012 total solar eclipse phenomenon, Queensland in Australia had managed to attract 60 thousand visitors, including 1.2 thousand Japanese researchers, who came aboard chartered flights.
The event offered high promotional value as it was witnessed by around 20 million people on NASA's live broadcast, according to Yahya.
The Indonesian government will organize the peak event of the TSE tours in Bangka Belitung Province, off Sumatra Island, in addition to cultural events and festival in other regions.
Bangka Belitung has been chosen to host the peak event because the area to experience the eclipse is about 150 km, as most of Belitung waters will be passed over by the eclipse, and the eclipse will be clearly visible there for some two minutes.
The tourism office of Bangka Belitung Islands Province hopes to lure at least six thousand tourists during the TSE.
The solar eclipse is a momentum for Bangka Belitung to promote its tourist attractions such as beautiful beaches, unique culture and arts, traditional music and dances, as well as local culinary.
Over 250 foreign tourists among others from the United States, Japan, China, Canada and France have booked air tickets to come to the province to see the eclipse.
Indonesia will promote the March 2016 eclipse during an eclipse awareness campaign through various forms of media, including online media, mailing lists, online astronomy forums, Yahoo Groups, and the social media.
In cooperation with various travel agents, Indonesia is preparing several tour packages, including the Eclipse Regatta.
"For the Eclipse Regatta, four cruisers have registered themselves to sail through Indonesia's regions during the total solar eclipse. Orion Cruise of the National Geographic, Caladonian Cruise, Coral Princess Cruise, and Peter Deilmaaan Cruise will be passing through the country's waters. In the meantime, PT Pelni plans to offer three big ships as floating hotels respectively in Bangka Belitung, Palu, and Ternate," the tourism minister remarked.
In addition to luring tourists, Indonesia is also targeting to promote the event among scientists, researchers, astronomers, photographers, and astronomy communities.
A total solar eclipse is when the Sun is completely covered by the Moon that passes between the Earth and Sun at a point in its elliptical orbit when it is relatively close to the Earth, according to information on http://moonblink.info.
A total solar eclipse is when the Sun is completely covered by the Moon that passes between the Earth and Sun at a point in its elliptical orbit when it is relatively close to the Earth, according to information on http://moonblink.info.
As it does so, it casts a shadow. The umbral part of the shadow (the umbra) is the area where the Sun is totally obscured by the Moon. During a total eclipse, the Moon is close enough to the Earth that part of the umbra falls upon the Earth.
In technical terms, its magnitude is greater than or equal to 1.000. People standing on those parts of the Earth, within the Umbra, see the Sun's face completely hidden by the Moon, resulting a total eclipse of the Sun, according to information on moonblink website.
This spectacular phenomenon will be seen from a path of totality up to 155 km (96.3 miles) wide, creating a dramatic spectacle for the millions of people on the path of totality in Indonesia, who will see the sun totally eclipsed for as much as three minutes.
LAPAN Head Thomas Jamaluddin said Indonesia is the only mainland that will the umbra shadow will pass through, while it ends at the Pacific Ocean.
The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is scheduled to join a team of researchers from LAPAN to closely study the TSE, according to the Jakarta Post. Four NASA researchers will observe the eclipse in Maba, Halmahera, North Maluku.
In the meantime, the National Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) will conduct a research to study maximum gravity and its impact on seismicity during the TSE 2016.
"There is a theory that when a total solar eclipse takes place, it will impact maximum gravity. We will examine it and its impact on the level of seismicity during and after the total solar eclipse occurrence," Head of Potential Seismology and Geophysics Center Jaya Murjaya said recently.
He said the research will be carried out just as the eclipse occurs on March 9, 2016. BMKG has chosen Poso, Central Sulawesi province, as the research site to yield maximum results because the area is prone to earthquakes.
Jaya explained that the research aims to determine differences in the earth's magnetic field and occurrence of anomalies in certain spots. Reportedly, the gravity can go up to 15 times higher during the occurrence of the TSE.
BMKG will also record observations for the same at a number of locations, including Ternate (North Maluku), Tanjung Pandan (Belitung), Muko-Muko (Bengkulu).
Meanwhile, the earth's magnetic field measurement will be conducted in Jayapura (Papua), Tangerang (Banten) and Pelabuhan Ratu (West Java).
"The plan is to watch the TSE through real time streaming while it is being aired by LAPAN. It could help us in the research as well," he said.***1***
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(T.F001/A/F. Assegaf/) 27-01-2016 23:00:20
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(T.F001/A/F. Assegaf/) 27-01-2016 23:00:20
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