A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Sun and the Moon are not quite lined up. In this case, the Moon covers only a section of the Sun. This kind of eclipse usually goes unnoticed by most people on Earth because the sunlight is scarcely dimmed.
A total solar eclipse, however, is much more spectacular. At totality, the disc of the Sun is completely obscured by the new Moon, and only the ghostly solar corona and perhaps gigantic solar flares are visible around the edges of the Moon. Those parts of the Earth experiencing totality become very dark and it is possible to see stars in the sky.
An annular solar eclipse is similar to a total eclipse except that the new Moon is near apogee and its disc appears slightly smaller than that of the Sun. Thus, a bright ring or annulus of the solar disc remains at maximum eclipse, and the sky does not become dark.
There are at least two and sometimes as many as five solar eclipses every year. Why don't we have a solar eclipse during every new Moon? This is because the Moon's orbit around the Earth is at an angle to the ecliptic. The new Moon usually passes above or below the Sun as seen from the Earth and thus there is no eclipse. The proper alignment for a solar eclipse occurs only a few times a year.
Another kind of eclipse is a lunar eclipse which occurs when the Moon passes through the shadow cast by the Earth. A lunar eclipse only occurs when the Moon is full and for the same reasons given above, happens only two or three times a year.
A lunar eclipse may be total, partial or penumbral. A total lunar eclipse causes the full Moon to slowly darken as it enters the umbra of the Earth and at totality, the Moon may take on a dark coppery colour. During a partial lunar eclipse, the Moon does not fully enter the umbra of the Earth. A penumbral lunar eclipse is likely to go unnoticed as the Moon passes through the Earth's penumbra and does not dim a great deal.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 09:33 UT | The partial eclipse begins when the Earth enters the penumbra of the Moon. |
| 10:37 UT | The total eclipse begins when the Earth enters the umbra of the Moon. |
| 11:59 UT | The Moon reaches new phase. |
| 12:04 UT | This is the time of greatest eclipse: magnitude = 1.05. |
| 13:31 UT | The total eclipse ends when the Earth leaves the umbra of the Moon. |
| 14:34 UT | The partial eclipse ends when the Earth leaves the penumbra of the Moon. |
The path of totality crosses the south Atlantic Ocean and parts of Africa, namely, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Tanzania. The island of Madagascar also witnesses totality. The partial eclipse is visible from Brazil to the Indian Ocean.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 18:03 UT | The partial eclipse begins when the Earth enters the penumbra of the Moon. |
| 19:10 UT | The annular eclipse begins when the Earth enters the antumbra of the Moon. |
| 20:48 UT | The Moon reaches new phase. |
| 20:52 UT | This is the time of greatest eclipse: magnitude = 0.97. |
| 22:34 UT | The annular eclipse ends when the Earth leaves the antumbra of the Moon. |
| 23:41 UT | The partial eclipse ends when the Earth leaves the penumbra of the Moon. |
The track of the annular eclipse crosses the Pacific Ocean, crossing land in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. A large portion of the Pacific Ocean and parts of western North and South America can see the partial phases.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 17:44 UT | The Moon enters the penumbra of the Earth. |
| 18:42 UT | The Moon enters the umbra of the Earth. |
| 19:50 UT | Totality begins. |
| 20:21 UT | This is the time of greatest eclipse: magnitude = 1.19. |
| 20:25 UT | The Moon reaches full phase. |
| 20:52 UT | Totality ends. |
| 21:59 UT | The Moon leaves the umbra of the Earth. |
| 22:58 UT | The Moon leaves the penumbra of the Earth. |
Asia, Europe, and most of Africa can witness the entire eclipse. The beginning of the eclipse is visible from western Australia.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 12:11 UT | The Moon enters the penumbra of the Earth. |
| 13:35 UT | The Moon enters the umbra of the Earth. |
| 14:55 UT | This is the time of greatest eclipse: magnitude = 0.49. |
| 15:04 UT | The Moon reaches full phase. |
| 16:15 UT | The Moon leaves the umbra of the Earth. |
| 17:40 UT | The Moon leaves the penumbra of the Earth. |
The entire eclipse is visible from much of the South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand, east Asia, and the Antarctic.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 08:25 UT | The Moon enters the penumbra of the Earth. |
| 10:29 UT | This is the time of greatest eclipse: magnitude = 0.92. |
| 10:41 UT | The Moon reaches full phase. |
| 12:33 UT | The Moon leaves the penumbra of the Earth. |
Most of North America can see the entire event. The end of the eclipse is also visible to observers in east Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and the Pacific Ocean. Penumbral eclipses are extremely faint and casual observers are unlikely to notice this one.
Copyright © 1995-2001 by David Harper and L.M. Stockman