A Ring of Fire
An annular eclipse, where the Moon’s apparent diameter is slightly smaller than the Sun’s, blocking all but a ring of sunlight. [26 photos]
Eclipse
An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object is temporarily obscured, either by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. An eclipse is a type of syzygy
1. Totality during the 1999 solar eclipse. Solar prominences can be seen along the limb (in red) as well as extensive coronal filaments.
2. The progression of a lunar eclipse. Totality is shown with the last two images to lower right. These required a longer exposure time to make the details visible.
3. The June 2011 total eclipse
4. Partial and annular phases of solar Eclipse May 20,2012
Solar Eclipses
1. Solar eclipse or diamond ring?
NASA dubbed this image a “diamond ring” eclipse — the key moment when the moon is almost completely covered by the sun. It can be dangerous to watch a solar eclipse from Earth. NASA says the solar radiation that reaches the Earth “ranges from ultraviolet (UV) radiation at wavelengths longer than 290 nm to radio waves in the meter range.” The tissues of the human eye transmit a substantial portion of that radiation to the light-sensitive retina at the back of the eye. Overexposure to this radiation can result in retinal burns. During a partial or annular eclipse, or even when 99 percent of the sun is covered, enough radiation is still entering the eye to cause significant damage. The sun should only be observed through special filters
2. Partial solar eclipse from Italy
This is a view of a partial solar eclipse taken on Jan. 4, 2011, in Italy. It looks like this image was captured at night, but solar eclipses can occur only during the day. A partial solar eclipse happens when the moon blocks out a portion of the sun. In all, 2011 was a banner year for both solar and lunar eclipses. “2011 has a rare combination of four partial solar eclipses and two total lunar eclipses,” writes Space.com. This particular solar eclipse was visible from the Middle East, Northern Africa, and much of Europe.
3. Partial solar eclipse from India
Pictured here is a partial solar eclipse as seen from Jaipur, India, on March 19, 2007. This was the first solar eclipse of 2007 and it was visible from eastern Asia and parts of northern Alaska. In the end, it’s all about perspective. We now know that even though the sun is 400 times larger than the moon, the two bodies appear to be the same size from Earth. Consequently, they can align to block one another. But even with this clinical understanding, it’s not hard to understand why people, both past and present, remain so impressed, intrigued and astounded by these magnificent celestial events.
4. Annular solar eclipse from Indonesia
When solar eclipses induce blood-red skies and crescent suns, it’s no wonder that ancient people considered them a sign of impending doom. Here is a view of an annular solar eclipse as seen from Jakarta, Indonesia, on Jan. 26, 2009. An annular solar eclipse happens when the moon is at its farthest point in orbit from the Earth. On Jan. 15, 2010, the longest annular eclipse since 1992 was visible from central Africa, the Indian Ocean and eastern Asia. At 11 minutes and eight seconds, it is expected to hold that record until Dec. 23, 3043.
(Source: mnn.com)
Skywatcher Snaps Misty Mountain Solar Eclipse
The eclipsed sun glows brightly above Kab Mountain in Hungary in this image from skywatcher Tamas Ladanyi.
Partial Eclipse Over Manila Bay
Credit & Copyright: Armando Lee (Astron. League Philippines), F. Naelga Jr., 100 Hours of Astronomy (IYA2009)
What’s happened to the setting Sun?
An eclipse! The Moon eclipsed part of the Sun as visible from parts of Africa, Australia, and Asia. In particular the above image, taken from the Mall of Asia
seawall, caught a partially eclipsed Sun setting over Manila Bay in the Philippines.
Moon and Space Station Eclipse the Sun
uesday morning’s partial solar eclipse produced a gorgeous crescent sunrise in Europe, Africa and Asia as the moon blocked most of the sun’s disk. But for a split second, the sun was also partially blocked by another satellite: the International Space Station.
French astrophotographer Thierry Legault traveled to Oman to snap this mind-blowing photo of the sun, moon and space station all lined up. The space station took just 0.86 seconds to cross the sun.
Legault is known for his stunning photos of spaceships crossing the sun, each of which was captured in less than a second. To lose hours staring at them, check out his Astrophoto.fr website.
Image: Thierry Legault
