Annular Solar Eclipse : Jan 15, 2010

Today,Jan 15, an annular eclipse of the Sun was visible from within a 300-km-wide track that traverses half of Earth.


The path of the Moon's antumbral shadow begins in Africa and passes through Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, and Somalia. After leaving Africa, the path crosses the Indian Ocean where the maximum duration of annularity reaches 11 min 08 s. The central path then continues into Asia through Bangladesh, India, Burma (Myanmar), and China. A partial eclipse was seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes eastern Europe, most of Africa, Asia, and Indonesia.

Witnessing the solar eclipse with a naked eye can have harmful affects to the cornea of the eyes which would ultimately lead to blindness. Therefore, scientists recommend to use specific scientific electric welder’s glass so that you can enjoy this natural event with safety.

Solar and lunar eclipses are the natural phenomenon that occurs when the sun and the moon are apparent in a linear line. In solar eclipse, the sun looks like a bright ring due to the moon that is positioned between the sun and the earth.