Southern Hemisphere Solar Eclipse
 
Something strange is about to happen to sunbeams in the southern hemisphere.
 
On Sunday, February 26th, the moon will pass in front of the sun, transforming
rays of sunlight across parts of South America, southern Africa and Antarctica
into fat crescents and thin rings of light.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXXYEXYLsCY
 
It's a solar eclipse, in which the moon will cover as much as 99% of the sun.
Millions of people will be able to witness the event since the eclipse zone
encompasses more than two dozen countries in three continents.
 
There are three types of solar eclipses.
 
    A total eclipse: The moon completely covers the blinding disk of the sun.  
The sun's ghostly outer atmosphere, called the corona, springs into view,
mesmerizing onlookers in the path of totality.
    A partial eclipse: The moon crosses in front of the sun off-center, leaving
a crescent-shaped portion of the sun visible.
    An annular eclipse. The moon crosses in front of the sun dead-center, but
the lunar disk does not completely block the sun. The edge of the sun juts out
on all sides of the moon, creating a bright "ring of fire."
 
There are also instances when an eclipse is a hybrid between the first and third
types, a total/annular eclipse. This occurs when the curve of the Earth results
in the eclipse path moving between the eclipse's total and annular shadows. A
total eclipse can change to an annular eclipse, or vice versa, along sections of
the eclipse path!
 
This eclipse will be an annular eclipse, with a narrow path of annularity
snaking across five countries: Chile and Argentina in South America and Angola,
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia in Africa.  People in those
countries can see the "ring of fire" for almost a minute and a half.
 
Outside that path, the eclipse will be partial.  This means the sun will turn
into a crescent-a slender one near the path of annularity and a fatter one away
from it.
 
Caution: The ring of sunlight throughout the eclipse is blindingly bright. Even
though most of the sun's disk will be covered, do NOT attempt to observe the
eclipse directly with the naked eye. Observers still need to use a solar filter
or some type of projection technique. A widely available filter is number 14
welder's glass or darker. Another option is to look at the sun-dappled ground
beneath leafy trees.  The sight of a thousand crescent-shaped sunbeams swaying
back and forth on a grassy lawn or sidewalk is unforgettable.
 
Astronomers are excited about this eclipse mainly because it brings us closer to
another one we've been anticipating for years:  The Total Solar Eclipse of
August 21, 2017.  On that date, the moon will completely cover the sun for a
total eclipse visible in the United States from coast to coast, in easy driving
distance of a hundred million people. If the weather accommodates, it should be
the best observed eclipse in the history of astronomy.
 
Let the countdown begin!
 
For more news about eclipses and other celestial phenomena, stay tuned to
science.nasa.gov
 
 
Regards,
 
Roger

--- DB 3.99 + W10 (1607)