Rare ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse to dim Africa, Asia

Skywatchers along a narrow band from west Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, India and southern China will witness on Sunday the most dramatic “ring of fire” solar eclipse to shadow the Earth in years.

Annular eclipses occur when the Moon — passing between Earth and the Sun — is not quite close enough to our planet to completely obscure sunlight, leaving a thin ring of the solar disc visible.

They occur every year or two, and can only be seen from a narrow pathway across the planet.



Remarkably, the eclipse on Sunday arrives on the northern hemisphere’s longest day of the year — the summer solstice — when Earth’s north pole is tilted most directly towards the Sun.

The “ring of fire” will first be seen in northeastern Republic of Congo at 5:56 local time (04:56 Greenwich Mean Time Zone) just a few minutes after sunrise.

This is the point of maximum duration, with the blackout lasting 1 minute and 22 seconds.


Arcing eastward across Asia and Africa, it will reach “maximum eclipse” — with a perfect solar halo around the Moon — over Uttarakhand, India near the Sino-Indian border at 12:10 local time (6:40 Greenwich Mean Time Zone).


More spectacular, but less long-lived: the exact alignment of the Earth, Moon and Sun will be visible for only 38 seconds.

“The annular eclipse is visible from about 2% of Earth surface,” Florent Delefie, an astronomer and the Paris Observatory, told Agence France-Presse.

“It’s a bit like switching from a 500-watt to a 30-watt light bulb,” he added. “It’s a cold light, and you don’t see as well.”

Good weather key

Animals can get spooked — birds will sometimes go back to sleep, and cows will return to the barn.

The full eclipse will be visible somewhere on Earth during just under four hours, and one of the last places to see a partially hidden Sun is Taiwan before its path heads out into the Pacific.

People hundreds of kilometers on either side of the centreline across 14 countries will also see light drain from the day, but not the “ring of fire.”

Weather conditions are critical for viewing.

“Good weather is the key to successful eclipse viewing,” astrophysicist Fred Espenak, an expert on eclipse prediction, commented on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Eclipse website. “Better to see a shorter eclipse from clear sky than a longer eclipse under clouds.”

A solar eclipse always occurs about two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse, when the Moon moves into Earth’s shadow. Lunar eclipses are visible from about half of Earth’s surface.

There will be a second solar eclipse in 2020 on Dec. 14 over South America. Because the Moon will be a bit closer to Earth, it will block on the Sun’s light entirely.

It will take less than 100 minutes for the path of this eclipse to move across the continent.

Even if the day has darkened, looking at a solar eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.

Sunglasses — which don’t filter out Ultraviolet rays — do not offer any protection, Delefie warned.

“The Sun is so bright that even when there’s only a tiny portion visible, it is still dangerous for the eyes,” he said.

Agence France-Presse

Crimson glory: All you need to know about the rare blood moon

SINGAPORE—Across the world on Wednesday, sky-watchers will be casting their gaze towards the heavens for a glimpse of the rare blood moon — where the moon appears reddish as a result of a total lunar eclipse.

This phenomenal cosmic event begins Wednesday before sunrise in North America, and is a cause for excitement among astronomy enthusiasts all over the world.  



Here are some interesting facts about this once-in-a-red-moon occurrence:

What is a blood moon?

When the Sun, Earth and Moon are aligned, a total lunar eclipse occurs and sees the Moon passing close to the centre of the Earth’s inner shadow – the umbra. The filtering and refracting effect of Earth’s atmosphere creates a blush on the face of the Moon, giving it a reddish hue.

Why is it significant?
Not only is this eclipse one of the most striking astronomical events visible from Earth, the blood moon can also be seen by the naked eye and does not require telescopes.

What’s the difference between lunar and solar eclipses?

For a solar eclipse to occur, the Moon must come between the Earth and Sun; for a lunar eclipse to happen, the Earth must come between the Sun and Moon.

In all instances, all three bodies must be nearly in a straight line.

In total solar eclipses, the Sun is darkened save for some wisps of light around its corona – as though a hairy sackcloth was held up in front of it. It is also termed a “sackcloth sun”.

In total lunar eclipses, the Moon is not completely darkened. Depending on the weather, the Earth’s atmosphere filters out blue rays, and what results is the Moon looking faintly dull orange or red. Hence the term, “blood moon”.

What are some noteworthy lunar eclipse dates?

The longest blood moon took place on July 23, 1888, and lasted one hour and 46 minutes.

The year 2011 marked the longest total lunar eclipse in a decade, lasting one hour and 35 minutes.

The shortest one is projected to occur on Nov 9, 2068, and is estimated to last just 18 minutes.

How often does a blood moon tetrad happen?

Blood moons are rare occurrences, and tonight’s one is even more so because it is one in a set of four eclipses – what astronomers call a tetrad.

Tetrads are so uncommon, that there was reportedly no tetrad for 300 years, between 1600 and 1900.

Tonight’s blood moon is said to be the second in a series that will happen over two years, with the first having taken place earlier this year in April. The third is slated for April 4, 2015, and the fourth on Sept 28, 2015.

The next tetrad is predicted for 2032-2033.

Interestingly, the ongoing 2014-2015 tetrad falls in the Hebrew year 5775 – which runs from September 2014 through September 2015 – and will supposedly fall exactly on four major Hebrew festivals.

Where and what time can it be seen?

Tonight’s celestial show can be watched by sky-gazers in the Americas and Asia.

The full eclipse will begin at 3.25am Pacific Daylight Time (6.25pm Singapore time) and will continue for about an hour.

Recent blood moon occurrences in Singapore

In 2007, Singapore caught only the tail end of a blood moon, although people from places such as the United States, South America and Australia witnessed it in its full glory.

In 2011, some 700 people gathered at the Singapore Science Centre to watch the eclipse, but overcast skies resulted in a failed sighting.

In April 2014, the first eclipse in the current 2014-2015 tetrad took place, but it was not visible in Singapore. Although the moon during this eclipse had an unusual tinge, this was said to be attributed to atmospheric effects, dust or particles.

Where to view the blood moon in Singapore?

The Astronomical Society of Singapore (Tasos) has organised an observation gathering tonight for the rare total lunar eclipse at Labrador Park, near the Tanjong Berlayer Beacon facing Sentosa.

The start of tonight’s total lunar eclipse phase is estimated to be at 6.25pm, and since Singapore’s moonrise is estimated to be at 6.52pm tonight, the moon is expected to be in total eclipse phase from the time of its rising.

How else can we view it?

Watch a  live stream of tonight’s blood moon by Slooh, a company that connects telescopes with the Internet to provide access to the broader public.

Alternatively, US space agency  Nasa is also providing a live feed  to the event tonight.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net