... 2003 January 6 . Shadow Cone of a Total Solar Eclipse . ... Explanation: Sometimes, during a total eclipse of the Sun, a strange shadow of darkness can be seen stretching off into the distance. Called a shadow cone, they are visible because the Earth's atmosphere is not completely transparent, scattering sunlight and hence appearing blue during the day. ... Visible above is a shadow cone caught during a total solar eclipse visible last month from South Australia . ... About APOD | ...

... Shadow Cone of a Total Solar Eclipse . ... Credit: Oliver Staiger ( High Moon ) Explanation: Sometimes, during a total eclipse of the Sun, a strange shadow of darkness can be seen stretching off into the distance. Called a shadow cone, they are visible because the Earth's atmosphere is not completely transparent, scattering sunlight and hence appearing blue during the day. ... Visible above is a shadow cone caught during a total solar eclipse visible last month from South Australia . ...

Sky watchers will witness a total lunar eclipse in the early hours of Thursday 21st February, subject to weather conditions. For a total lunar eclipse to occur, the Moon in its orbit around the Earth must pass fully into the cone-shaped shadow of the Earth in space. ... The Moon does not usually go completely dark because the Earth's atmosphere refracts direct sunlight around the edge of the shadow on to the Moon's surface. This causes the Moon to turn a dark, blood-red or copper colour. ...

... Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. August 18, 1999 . Sun Block . ... Explanation: During a total solar eclipse, Earth's moon blocks the sun - almost exactly. While the sun is about 400 times wider than the moon, it is also about 400 times farther away and each appears to be half a degree or so in diameter. ... Tomorrow's picture: Light From The Dark Sun . ... About APOD > . ...

The Sun's corona . ... For instance, short "plumes" rising from the polar regions of the Sun look very much like field lines coming out of the end of a bar magnet, and they therefore suggest that the Sun, in addition to the intense fields of sunspots, also has a global magnetic field like the Earth's. Arches above the . Sun's surface . ... It is brightest near sunspots, whose arched field lines apparently hamper the outflow of solar wind which carries away energy and helps cool the corona. ...

... On the morning of Thursday, 26 February, amid the Gal pagos Islands, the Sun will fade from view. Not the culmination of ancient prophecy, but none less mystical, Earth's small Moon will be executing a slow slide past the enormous Sun. ... And anyone living in southern North America, Central America, northern South America, or on islands and cruise ships in the Caribbean Sea will, weather permitting, have the opportunity to experience the wonder of a solar eclipse. ...

... Tonight's Sky . ... The Magazine . ... Observing . ... The double star 54 Leonis, spiral galaxy NGC 3198, and emission nebula NGC 3199 . ... Astronomy for Kids . ... Observing springtime deep-sky objects with a large telescope . ... Bright planets meet at dusk . ... Astronomy magazine subscribers can read the full article for free. ... Get instant access to subscriber content on Astronomy.com! ... Receive news, sky-event information, observing tips, and more from Astronomy's weekly email newsletter....

... Eclipses of the Moon in 2009 : . In 2009 there are four eclipses of the Moon (tree penumbral eclipses on February 9, July 7, and August 5-6 and a partial eclipse on December 31). ... Moon enters penumbra (P 1 ) . ... Moon leaves penumbra (P 4 ) . ... Eclipse, lunar : . ... It may be total (the Moon passing completely through the Earth's umbra ), partial (the Moon passing partially through the Earth's umbra at maximum eclipse), or penumbral (the Moon passing only through the Earth's penumbra ). ...

... Solar Wind . ... During a total eclipse of the Sun, when for a few minutes the Moon completely covers the Sun's face, a glow appears around the darkened Sun--the solar corona, the Sun's outermost atmosphere. ... Such high levels of ionization require the atoms to be buffeted around by extremely high t