Beginning at 15:41 (Hanoi time) on October 3, 2005, a partial solar eclipse will cast a shadow over many regions in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. This occurs when the Moon passes in front of the Sun.
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| Depending on one’s location on Earth, different ring shapes of this solar eclipse can be observed |
Depending on one’s location on Earth, different ring shapes of this solar eclipse can be observed.
According to the U.S. space agency, this total solar eclipse will last nearly 4 hours. The eclipse’s shadow will first appear over the North Atlantic at 15:41. This snake-like shadow will cross the Iberian Peninsula, reaching Madrid at 15:56, then moving over the Mediterranean Sea, central Libya, Kenya, and Somalia. The path of the eclipse will leave land by 18:30, with only ships in the Indian Ocean able to witness the conclusion of this extraordinary natural phenomenon at 19:22.
According to astronomers, not all solar eclipses are total. The Moon’s orbit around Earth is not perfectly circular. Instead, the distance from the Moon to Earth varies from about 356,000 km to 407,000 km. This discrepancy causes the size of the Moon in the sky to fluctuate by about 13%. If the Moon obscures the Sun while it is at its closest point in orbit, a total solar eclipse will occur. However, if the Moon covers the Sun when it is at its farthest point in orbit, it will not completely block the solar disk, resulting in an annular eclipse, where a ring of light surrounds the Moon.
This is the fourth solar eclipse of the 21st century. The next total solar eclipse will occur on March 29, 2006. It will cast a shadow along a path extending from the equatorial regions of West Africa, the Sahara, the western Mediterranean, Turkey, and Russia. When observing this event, it is essential to wear protective eyewear to prevent blindness.
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| Annular solar eclipse (the bold red line in the middle). The square indicates the point of the greatest eclipse. All times are GMT. Starting at 8:41 (GMT) in the North Atlantic. |
Minh Sơn (According to BBC, CNN)
