Longest annular solar eclipse in millennium to occur on Jan 15

Updated: 2010-01-12
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 An annular solar eclipse and partial eclipse
 
An annular solar eclipse covering over 500 kilometers in China will occur this Friday on Jan. 15, 2010. It will be the millennium's longest annular solar eclipse with a record 11 minutes and 8 seconds, according to Fujian Provincial Observatory.
 
An eclipse lasting longer than this one won't happen until 3043, the observatory said.
 
The eclipse is estimated to last a record 11 minutes and 8 seconds, beginning at 15:31 pm (Beijing time) on January 15. People in more than 10 provinces of China will be able to witness the astronomical phenomenon, in which a bright halo will surround the moon.
 
As China is at the east end of this eclipse, the annular eclipse will first be seen in southwest China’s Yunnan province, making it the ideal area to observe the eclipse in China. The eclipse will then move to Sichuan, Chongqing Municipality, Hubei, Henan and Shandong province.
 
People should not watch the eclipse with naked eyes, and are advised to take precautionary measures while watching the celestial activity, the observatory said.
 
Various phases of partial eclipse can be seen in most parts of China except some areas in the eastern part of northeast China’s Heilongjiang province.
 
The last annular solar eclipse took place on September 23, 1987 and the next solar eclipse visible in China will be on May 21, 2012.
 
Annular solar eclipse occurs when the sun and the moon are exactly in line, but the apparent size of the moon's shadow is smaller than that of the visible disc of the sun. The covered sun, therefore, appears as a 'Ring of Fire', with its rays appearing spread out from the outline of the moon.
 
The path of the moon's shadow begins in Africa and passes through Chad, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, and Somalia. After leaving Africa, the path crosses the Indian Ocean.
 
The central path then continues into Asia through the extreme southern part of India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and China. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much broader path, including entire India, or Bangladesh.
 
Partial eclipse in Xiamen
 
However, it will be visible in Xiamen only as a partial eclipse due to the geographical location.
 
The partial eclipse will begin at about 15:38 pm, reach its maximum at 16:56 pm, and end around 18:04 pm Beijing time, when the sun and the moon descend below the horizon in succession.
 
This partial eclipse has a magnitude of 0.68, meaning 68 percent of the sun's diameter will be obscured by the moon at maximum eclipse.
 
Air temperature and ambient luminosity may fall slightly during the eclipse, but this will have little effect on daily activities.
 
SOURCE: WOX Info
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