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 |
|---|---|
| 20:52 UT, 10 June | The partial eclipse begins when the Earth enters the penumbra of the Moon. |
| 21:54 UT, 10 June | The annular eclipse begins when the Earth enters the prolongation of the Moon's umbral cone. |
| 23:46 UT, 10 June | The Moon reaches new phase. |
| 23:48 UT, 10 June | This is the time of greatest eclipse. |
| 01:34 UT, 11 June | The annular eclipse ends when the Earth leaves the prolongation of the Moon's umbral cone. |
| 02:37 UT, 11 June | The partial eclipse ends when the Earth leaves the penumbra of the Moon. |
The track of the annular eclipse begins just south of the Philippines and heads northeast across the Pacific Ocean, passing several hundred miles north of Midway Island. The track then curves slightly southward, ending just short of the Mexican coast. The partial eclipse can be seen throughout the northern Pacific Ocean as well as in northern Australia, east and southeast Asia, Alaska, and the coast of British Columbia.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 04:51 UT | The partial eclipse begins when the Earth enters the penumbra of the Moon. |
| 05:51 UT | The total eclipse begins when the Earth enters the umbra of the Moon. |
| 07:31 UT | This is the time of greatest eclipse: magnitude = 1.02. |
| 07:34 UT | The Moon reaches new phase. |
| 09:21 UT | The total eclipse ends when the Earth leaves the umbra of the Moon. |
| 10:11 UT | The partial eclipse ends when the Earth leaves the penumbra of the Moon. |
The path of totality begins in the Atlantic Ocean. First landfall is in the country of Angola. From there, the path of totality passes through parts of Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mozambique before heading out into the Indian Ocean. The total eclipse ends over South Australia. The partial eclipse can be seen throughout most of Africa and the southern Indian Ocean, as well as parts of Antarctica and the western parts of Australia.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 10:13 UT | The Moon enters the penumbra of the Earth. |
| 11:51 UT | The Moon reaches full phase. |
| 12:03 UT | This is the time of greatest eclipse: magnitude = 0.72. |
| 13:54 UT | The Moon leaves the penumbra of the Earth. |
This faint eclipse will be visible from Australia, east and southeast Asia, Antarctica, and all of the Pacific Ocean.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 20:18 UT | The Moon enters the penumbra of the Earth. |
| 21:27 UT | This is the time of greatest eclipse: magnitude = 0.24. |
| 21:42 UT | The Moon reaches full phase. |
| 22:35 UT | The Moon leaves the penumbra of the Earth. |
Barely visible, this eclipse can be seen from Africa, southern Europe, the Middle East, India, Antarctica, and the Indian Ocean.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 23:32 UT, 19 November | The Moon enters the penumbra of the Earth. |
| 01:34 UT, 20 November | The Moon reaches full phase. |
| 01:47 UT, 20 November | This is the time of greatest eclipse: magnitude = 0.87. |
| 04:01 UT, 20 November | The Moon leaves the penumbra of the Earth. |
The deepest of this year's penumbral eclipses is visible from North and South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Atlantic Ocean.
Copyright © 1995-2002 by David Harper and L.M. Stockman