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Credit: Fred Espenak
Explanation:
On December 4th,
for the second time in as many years, the Moon's
shadow will
track
across southern Africa bringing a total
solar
eclipse to African skies.
Reaching Africa just before 6:00 Universal Time,
the narrow path of totality -
corresponding to the path of the Moon's umbra or dark central shadow -
will run eastward through Angola, Namibia (Caprivi Strip),
Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa's
Kruger National Park,
and Mozambique.
Moving out across the Indian
Ocean it will ultimately cross onto the Australian continent
at sunset (around
9:10 UT).
Observers directly in this path could catch at most a minute or so of
the eclipse at its total phase, but at least a partial eclipse will be
visible over much of Africa,
Australia,
some parts of Indonesia, and eastern Antarctica.
While watching
last year's June 21 eclipse, astronomer Fred Espenak
recorded a series of exposures used to construct this
dramatic composite image.
The sequence follows the 2001 geocentric celestial event from
start to finish above a thorny acacia tree near Chisamba, Zambia.
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NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: solar eclipse
Publications with words: solar eclipse
See also: