Credit & Copyright: Philipp Rau
Explanation:
Christmas Day 2000 featured the
final eclipse of the
Second Millennium -- a partial
solar eclipse
visible from
much of North America.
Astrophotographer Phil Rau
recorded the entire event on a single
image as the Sun
and Moon
arced through winter skies above
Cary, North Carolina, USA.
Using a well positioned, tripod mounted camera and a solar filter,
Rau made a short exposure every 10 minutes
from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm EST, covering the local duration of the eclipse.
The resulting image beautifully illustrates the steady progress of the
dark new Moon as it
appears to take a bite out of the golden
solar disk.
From his location, at eclipse maximum (near picture center) just less than
50 percent of the Sun's diameter was
covered
by the Moon.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day