This animation shows the day and night sides of Earth on September 13, 2015. It shows the moon’s penumbral shadow sweeping from west to east across the Earth’s surface. Those in the shadow’s path – southern Africa, Indian Ocean, Antarctica – will see the partial eclipse.
Please look carefully at the animation showing the Earth’s Southern Hemisphere at right on September 13, 2015. Only those places within the moving shaded circle (southern Africa, Antarctica and the ocean between them) can look in the sky to see the new moon taking a bite out of the sun’s disk. Since Antarctica is so sparsely populated, most who see this partial solar eclipse will be in southern Africa, where the eclipse will occur in the early morning hours of Sunday, September 13. In fact, the far western portion of the eclipse viewing area – such as Windhoek, Namibia and Cape Town, South Africa – will see the sun already partially eclipsed as it rises over the eastern horizon on September 13. (See the two eclipse maps below.) If you are in the path of the eclipse, you must use proper eye protection, so that you don’t risk serious eye injury or blindness. Click on the links below to find out how to watch the solar eclipse safely and to learn more details.
How can I safely watch a partial solar eclipse?
September 13, 2015 eclipse times for African Time Zones
Eclipse calculators give eclipse times for your sky
Purchase eclipse glasses from the EarthSky store
Enjoying EarthSky so far? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!
The video below – showing where the September 13 eclipse will be visible – is courtesy of Larry Koehn at the great website shadowandsubstance.com:
Partial Eclipse of the Sun on September 13, 2015 from LarryKoehn on Vimeo.
The partial eclipse of the sun is visible from the southern portion of Africa, the Indian Ocean and Antarctica. The numbers from 0.20, 0.40, and 0.60 represent the magnitude of the eclipse – the fraction of the solar diameter that is covered over by the moon. Eclipse map courtesy of Fred Espenak at Eclipsewise.com.
Eclipse glasses enable you to safely watch a solar eclipse. We offer eclipse glasses at the EarthSky store.
How can I safely watch a partial solar eclipse? Leslie C. Peltier, author of the celebrated 1965 book Starlight Nights, described watching a solar eclipse through a telescope:
I shifted the telescope ever so slightly toward the western edge of the sun – then, a moment later, I was staring spellbound, as the moon, right on time, took its first little nibble out of the red-hot cookie of the sun.
It sounds fascinating, doesn’t it? It is! However, unless you’re practiced at using a telescope and have a safe solar filter – both of which prerequisites Leslie C. Peltier surely had – don’t even try watching the partial solar eclipse through a telescope. If you want to see the eclipse telescopically, your best bet is to locate an astronomy club or an observatory near you that might be hosting a public viewing of this natural spectacle. Find an astronomy club here.
You don’t need a telescope or an optical aid to view this eclipse. But you do need proper eye protection.
Safely and inexpensively watch this partial eclipse with eclipse glasses, or make a simple pinhole projector to indirectly view the solar eclipse, as explained here. You can also turn the telescope or binoculars into a pinhole camera, to indirectly and safely view any solar eclipse.
As shown in the photo below, trees serve as natural pinhole projectors, casting leaf shadows and multiple images of the eclipse. It’s a fascinating natural spectacle! When you see the scene for yourself, you may want to sing along with the Beatles:
Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes, they call me on and on across the universe.
Read more: How to watch a partial solar eclipse safely
Trees serve as natural pinhole projectors, casting images galore of the partial solar eclipse. Image credit: torbakhopper
Those to the south (below) the green line will be in a position to witness the partial solar eclipse on September 13, 2015. Click here for an interactive map to find out the eclipse times in Universal Time for anywhere in the eclipse viewing area. Add 2 hours to convert Universal Time to the local time in mainland Africa, and 3 hours to convert to Madagascar local time. Map credit: NASA eclipse web site.
September 13, 2015 eclipse times for African Time Zones. We list the eclipse times for certain localities in Africa in local time. That is the time as shown on the clock at that location. Be aware that the eclipse times will vary somewhat even within the same time zone. An expanded list of local eclipse times is available at TimeandDate.com. All times are in local time, so no conversion is necessary!
Cape Town, South Africa
Solar eclipse begins: 6:44 a.m. local time
Sunrise: 6:49 a.m. local time
Maximum Eclipse: 7:43 a.m. local time
Solar eclipse ends: 8:49 a.m. local time
Maximum obscuration of solar disk: 30%
Pretoria, South Africa
Solar eclipse begins: 6:43 a.m. local time
Maximum eclipse: 7:35 a.m. local time
Solar eclipse ends: 8:32 a.m. local time
Maximum obscuration of solar disk: 15%
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Solar eclipse begins: 6:47 a.m. local time
Maximum eclipse: 7:26 a.m. local time
Solar eclipse ends: 8:07 a.m. local time
Maximum obscuration of solar disk: 6%
Maputo, Mozambique
Solar eclipse begins: 6:45 a.m. local time
Maximum eclipse: 7:38 a.m. local time
Solar eclipse ends: 8:37 a.m. local time
Maximum obscuration of solar disk: 14%
Toliara, Madagascar
Solar eclipse begins: 7:58 a.m. local time
Maximum eclipse: 8:45 a.m. local time
Solar eclipse ends: 9:36 a.m. local time
Maximum obscuration of solar disk: 6%
Eclipse calculators give eclipse times for your sky
We present two eclipse calculators, enabling you to find out eclipse times. Timeanddate.com gives the eclipse times in your local time, so no conversion is necessary. The interactive map lists the eclipse times in Universal Time, so you must convert Universal Time to local clock time. For the mainland African countries in the eclipse viewing area, add 2 hours to Universal Time. At Madagascar, add 3 hours to Universal Time.
Eclipse calculator courtesy of timeanddate.com
Cool Interactive map gives eclipse times for any location
How do I convert Universal Time into my time?
When the new moon very closely aligns with one of its nodes, the moon’s dark umbral shadow falls on Earth, presenting a total eclipse of the sun. However, the alignment is too inexact for the moon’s umbral shadow to fall on Earth on September 13, so only the penumbral shadow hits Earth, to create a partial lunar eclipse. Image credit: Wikipedia
A = total solar eclipse, B = annular eclipse and C = partial solar eclipse
What causes a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse happens whenever the new moon passes in front of the sun, and the moon’s shadow falls on our planet. A solar eclipse is only possible at new moon because that’s the only time whereby the moon can go in front of the sun, as seen from Earth. Most of the time, however, the new moon either swings north or south of the solar disk, so no eclipse of the sun takes place.
The plane of the moon’s orbit around Earth is inclined at 5o to the plane of the Earth’s orbit around the sun. For half the month, the moon orbits Earth to the north of the ecliptic (Earth’s orbital plane); and for the other half of the month, the moon orbits Earth to the south of the ecliptic (Earth’s orbital plane). Twice a month, however, the moon crosses the Earth’s orbital plane at points called nodes. If the moon is traveling from north to south, it’s called a descending node, and when it’s going from south to north, it’s called an ascending node.
When a new moon happens while the moon is appreciably close to one of its nodes, a solar eclipse is not only possible – but inevitable. It’s far from a perfect alignment this time around, though, as the moon reaches its ascending node about 22 hours after the moon turns new. Thereby, the moon’s cone-shaped umbra (dark shadow) misses Earth completely, falling south of our planet. Even if the moon’s dark shadow pointed more northward, directly at Earth, the moon would still be too far away from Earth to totally eclipse the sun, so the eclipse would be annular instead of total. (See illustration at upper right.) But the new moon occurs close enough to its ascending node for the moon’s penumbral shadow to fall on Earth and for southerly Africa to witness a partial eclipse of the sun on September 13, 2015.
Donate: Your support means the world to us
Bottom line: A partial solar eclipse is visible to those in southern Africa on September 13, 2015. You must use proper eye protection to view the partial eclipse of the sun, with or without an optical aid, so that you don’t risk serious eye injury or blindness. This post offers tips on how to watch the solar eclipse safely and how to know where and when this eclipse is taking place.
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1FgOEKw
This animation shows the day and night sides of Earth on September 13, 2015. It shows the moon’s penumbral shadow sweeping from west to east across the Earth’s surface. Those in the shadow’s path – southern Africa, Indian Ocean, Antarctica – will see the partial eclipse.
Please look carefully at the animation showing the Earth’s Southern Hemisphere at right on September 13, 2015. Only those places within the moving shaded circle (southern Africa, Antarctica and the ocean between them) can look in the sky to see the new moon taking a bite out of the sun’s disk. Since Antarctica is so sparsely populated, most who see this partial solar eclipse will be in southern Africa, where the eclipse will occur in the early morning hours of Sunday, September 13. In fact, the far western portion of the eclipse viewing area – such as Windhoek, Namibia and Cape Town, South Africa – will see the sun already partially eclipsed as it rises over the eastern horizon on September 13. (See the two eclipse maps below.) If you are in the path of the eclipse, you must use proper eye protection, so that you don’t risk serious eye injury or blindness. Click on the links below to find out how to watch the solar eclipse safely and to learn more details.
How can I safely watch a partial solar eclipse?
September 13, 2015 eclipse times for African Time Zones
Eclipse calculators give eclipse times for your sky
Purchase eclipse glasses from the EarthSky store
Enjoying EarthSky so far? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!
The video below – showing where the September 13 eclipse will be visible – is courtesy of Larry Koehn at the great website shadowandsubstance.com:
Partial Eclipse of the Sun on September 13, 2015 from LarryKoehn on Vimeo.
The partial eclipse of the sun is visible from the southern portion of Africa, the Indian Ocean and Antarctica. The numbers from 0.20, 0.40, and 0.60 represent the magnitude of the eclipse – the fraction of the solar diameter that is covered over by the moon. Eclipse map courtesy of Fred Espenak at Eclipsewise.com.
Eclipse glasses enable you to safely watch a solar eclipse. We offer eclipse glasses at the EarthSky store.
How can I safely watch a partial solar eclipse? Leslie C. Peltier, author of the celebrated 1965 book Starlight Nights, described watching a solar eclipse through a telescope:
I shifted the telescope ever so slightly toward the western edge of the sun – then, a moment later, I was staring spellbound, as the moon, right on time, took its first little nibble out of the red-hot cookie of the sun.
It sounds fascinating, doesn’t it? It is! However, unless you’re practiced at using a telescope and have a safe solar filter – both of which prerequisites Leslie C. Peltier surely had – don’t even try watching the partial solar eclipse through a telescope. If you want to see the eclipse telescopically, your best bet is to locate an astronomy club or an observatory near you that might be hosting a public viewing of this natural spectacle. Find an astronomy club here.
You don’t need a telescope or an optical aid to view this eclipse. But you do need proper eye protection.
Safely and inexpensively watch this partial eclipse with eclipse glasses, or make a simple pinhole projector to indirectly view the solar eclipse, as explained here. You can also turn the telescope or binoculars into a pinhole camera, to indirectly and safely view any solar eclipse.
As shown in the photo below, trees serve as natural pinhole projectors, casting leaf shadows and multiple images of the eclipse. It’s a fascinating natural spectacle! When you see the scene for yourself, you may want to sing along with the Beatles:
Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes, they call me on and on across the universe.
Read more: How to watch a partial solar eclipse safely
Trees serve as natural pinhole projectors, casting images galore of the partial solar eclipse. Image credit: torbakhopper
Those to the south (below) the green line will be in a position to witness the partial solar eclipse on September 13, 2015. Click here for an interactive map to find out the eclipse times in Universal Time for anywhere in the eclipse viewing area. Add 2 hours to convert Universal Time to the local time in mainland Africa, and 3 hours to convert to Madagascar local time. Map credit: NASA eclipse web site.
September 13, 2015 eclipse times for African Time Zones. We list the eclipse times for certain localities in Africa in local time. That is the time as shown on the clock at that location. Be aware that the eclipse times will vary somewhat even within the same time zone. An expanded list of local eclipse times is available at TimeandDate.com. All times are in local time, so no conversion is necessary!
Cape Town, South Africa
Solar eclipse begins: 6:44 a.m. local time
Sunrise: 6:49 a.m. local time
Maximum Eclipse: 7:43 a.m. local time
Solar eclipse ends: 8:49 a.m. local time
Maximum obscuration of solar disk: 30%
Pretoria, South Africa
Solar eclipse begins: 6:43 a.m. local time
Maximum eclipse: 7:35 a.m. local time
Solar eclipse ends: 8:32 a.m. local time
Maximum obscuration of solar disk: 15%
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Solar eclipse begins: 6:47 a.m. local time
Maximum eclipse: 7:26 a.m. local time
Solar eclipse ends: 8:07 a.m. local time
Maximum obscuration of solar disk: 6%
Maputo, Mozambique
Solar eclipse begins: 6:45 a.m. local time
Maximum eclipse: 7:38 a.m. local time
Solar eclipse ends: 8:37 a.m. local time
Maximum obscuration of solar disk: 14%
Toliara, Madagascar
Solar eclipse begins: 7:58 a.m. local time
Maximum eclipse: 8:45 a.m. local time
Solar eclipse ends: 9:36 a.m. local time
Maximum obscuration of solar disk: 6%
Eclipse calculators give eclipse times for your sky
We present two eclipse calculators, enabling you to find out eclipse times. Timeanddate.com gives the eclipse times in your local time, so no conversion is necessary. The interactive map lists the eclipse times in Universal Time, so you must convert Universal Time to local clock time. For the mainland African countries in the eclipse viewing area, add 2 hours to Universal Time. At Madagascar, add 3 hours to Universal Time.
Eclipse calculator courtesy of timeanddate.com
Cool Interactive map gives eclipse times for any location
How do I convert Universal Time into my time?
When the new moon very closely aligns with one of its nodes, the moon’s dark umbral shadow falls on Earth, presenting a total eclipse of the sun. However, the alignment is too inexact for the moon’s umbral shadow to fall on Earth on September 13, so only the penumbral shadow hits Earth, to create a partial lunar eclipse. Image credit: Wikipedia
A = total solar eclipse, B = annular eclipse and C = partial solar eclipse
What causes a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse happens whenever the new moon passes in front of the sun, and the moon’s shadow falls on our planet. A solar eclipse is only possible at new moon because that’s the only time whereby the moon can go in front of the sun, as seen from Earth. Most of the time, however, the new moon either swings north or south of the solar disk, so no eclipse of the sun takes place.
The plane of the moon’s orbit around Earth is inclined at 5o to the plane of the Earth’s orbit around the sun. For half the month, the moon orbits Earth to the north of the ecliptic (Earth’s orbital plane); and for the other half of the month, the moon orbits Earth to the south of the ecliptic (Earth’s orbital plane). Twice a month, however, the moon crosses the Earth’s orbital plane at points called nodes. If the moon is traveling from north to south, it’s called a descending node, and when it’s going from south to north, it’s called an ascending node.
When a new moon happens while the moon is appreciably close to one of its nodes, a solar eclipse is not only possible – but inevitable. It’s far from a perfect alignment this time around, though, as the moon reaches its ascending node about 22 hours after the moon turns new. Thereby, the moon’s cone-shaped umbra (dark shadow) misses Earth completely, falling south of our planet. Even if the moon’s dark shadow pointed more northward, directly at Earth, the moon would still be too far away from Earth to totally eclipse the sun, so the eclipse would be annular instead of total. (See illustration at upper right.) But the new moon occurs close enough to its ascending node for the moon’s penumbral shadow to fall on Earth and for southerly Africa to witness a partial eclipse of the sun on September 13, 2015.
Donate: Your support means the world to us
Bottom line: A partial solar eclipse is visible to those in southern Africa on September 13, 2015. You must use proper eye protection to view the partial eclipse of the sun, with or without an optical aid, so that you don’t risk serious eye injury or blindness. This post offers tips on how to watch the solar eclipse safely and how to know where and when this eclipse is taking place.
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1FgOEKw
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