solar eclipse

This picture, taken by Fred Espenak, shows a total eclipse of the Sun. The dark central area is the Moon; it’s covering up the Sun’s disk completely. All that’s left to see is the light from the Sun’s very faint, wispy corona.

Here is a movie taken during a solar eclipse. The movie starts when the Moon has almost covered the Sun’s disk, just a shaft of light remains shining through. The movie gets very shaky towards the end as the photographer obviously got very excited!

What is a total solar eclipse?

A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes directly in front of the Sun and blocks the light from the Sun’s disk.

Future solar eclipes

To find out when and where the next solar eclipse is, click on the map below

2009 solar eclipse.

The longest total eclipse for the remainder of the 21st century will happen on Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009. The maximum duration will be 6mins 39s.

This eclipse will cast a shadow over half the Earth. The path of the Moon’s umbral shadow begins in India and crosses through Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and China.

After leaving the mainland of Asia, the path crosses the Japanese islands in the Pacific Ocean.

NEVER LOOK AT A TOTAL ECLIPSE WITHOUT SUPERVISION FROM A TEACHER.

LOOKING AT THE SUN DIRECTLY DURING A SOLAR ECLIPSE WILL DAMAGE YOUR EYESIGHT.