by mjimih » Thu May 09, 2013 2:20 pm
http://www.accuweather.com/en/features/ ... r/11913119
Solar Eclipse Turns Sun Into 'Ring of Fire' This Week
May 08, 2013; 10:35 AM
The moon will block the sun in a potentially spectacular solar eclipse this week - a celestial event that will transform the sun into a cosmic "ring of fire" in the daytime sky.
The ring-shaped solar eclipse , known as an annular eclipse, will occur Thursday and Friday (May 9 and 10) Eastern time. Weather permitting, the eclipse will be visible in certain parts of Australia and the Southern Pacific Ocean, where the local time will be Friday.
"Solar eclipses can be inspirational to students and others, so it is interesting to have everyone view the eclipse, but only safe methods of viewing should be used," Jay Pasachoff, an astronomer at Williams College and chair of the International Astronomical Union's working group on eclipses, said in a statement.
During annular solar eclipses, the moon casts a shadow on the face of the Earth when it passes between the planet and the star. Because of its orbit, however, the moon still appears about 4.5 percent smaller than the sun, creating the distinct ring in the sky, Joe Rao, a SPACE.com contributor and meteorologist said.
This week's solar eclipse comes on the heels of a partial lunar eclipse that shadowed the moon above Central Asia, Western Australia, Eastern Europe and Africa. Another minor lunar eclipse will occur on May 24.
These aren't the only eclipses of 2013. On Nov. 3, a rare hybrid solar eclipse - an annular eclipse that transitions into a total eclipse - will be visible in the northern Atlantic Ocean and into equatorial Africa.
http://www.accuweather.com/en/features/trend/solar_eclipse_turns_sun_into_r/11913119
Solar Eclipse Turns Sun Into 'Ring of Fire' This Week
May 08, 2013; 10:35 AM
[quote]The moon will block the sun in a potentially spectacular solar eclipse this week - a celestial event that will transform the sun into a cosmic "ring of fire" in the daytime sky.
The ring-shaped solar eclipse , known as an annular eclipse, will occur Thursday and Friday (May 9 and 10) Eastern time. Weather permitting, the eclipse will be visible in certain parts of Australia and the Southern Pacific Ocean, where the local time will be Friday.
"Solar eclipses can be inspirational to students and others, so it is interesting to have everyone view the eclipse, but only safe methods of viewing should be used," Jay Pasachoff, an astronomer at Williams College and chair of the International Astronomical Union's working group on eclipses, said in a statement.[/quote]
[img3="Skywatcher Charles Medendorp took this photo of the annular eclipse at the Very Large Array outside Socorro, New Mexico, on May 20, 2012. Credit: Charles Medendorp"]http://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/pub/includes/columns/thirdpartycontent/2013/576x385_05071330_eclipse-new-mexico-medendorp.jpg[/img3]
[quote]During annular solar eclipses, the moon casts a shadow on the face of the Earth when it passes between the planet and the star. Because of its orbit, however, the moon still appears about 4.5 percent smaller than the sun, creating the distinct ring in the sky, Joe Rao, a SPACE.com contributor and meteorologist said.
This week's solar eclipse comes on the heels of a partial lunar eclipse that shadowed the moon above Central Asia, Western Australia, Eastern Europe and Africa. Another minor lunar eclipse will occur on May 24.
These aren't the only eclipses of 2013. On Nov. 3, a rare hybrid solar eclipse - an annular eclipse that transitions into a total eclipse - will be visible in the northern Atlantic Ocean and into equatorial Africa.[/quote]