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Eclipses during 2009
There will be six eclipses in 2009, four of the moon and two of the sun. Three of the lunar eclipses
will be penumbral only-not the kind most people get excited about. A somewhat more exciting partial
lunar eclipse will mark year's end. The solar eclipses are much more exciting. One will be an annular
eclipse, which occurs when the moon is too far away to completely cover the sun while passing in front
of it. During the middle of the eclipse, the sun appears as a ring rather than a disk. The other solar
eclipse is a total one with the appearance of a "black ball" most people have seen photographs of.
Annular solar eclipse - January 26, 2009
The moon will block the view of 86% of the sun's disk. If you're in one of the right places, the entire
edge of the sun's disk will surround the moon's disk. Thus the sun will appear as a bright ring in the
sky. The annular phase will last up to 7 minutes, 54 seconds depending on the location. Directly looking
at this eclipse is a bad idea. The part of the sun that emits ultraviolet rays won't be completely blocked.
The eclipse may be dim enough to feel comfortable to your eyes, but the dangerous ultraviolet rays will still
be there. Use filters made specifically for viewing the sun. Or use a device that can safely project the
sun's image for you to see.
The annular track begins in the South Atlantic north of Tristan da Cunha, goes south of South Africa
passing north of Prince Edward Island, heads northward into the Indian Ocean. The only places it
crosses land are the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Indonesia. Partial phases are visible from the
southern third of Africa, Madagascar, southeast Asia, most of Australia, and Antarctica on the
Queen Maud, Enderby, American Highland, and Wilkes side.
Click here for a mercator map showing maximum eclipse times and magnitudes
Click here for an orthographic map showing maximum eclipse times and magnitudes
Penumbral lunar eclipse - February 9, 2009
The earth will partially block the sunlight reaching the moon, causing the moon to dim a bit
and perhaps take on a ruddy appearance. Some of the ruddy appearance is caused by a greater
proportion of sunlight reaching the moon passing through the earth's atmosphere first.
Depending on your observing conditions and the effect clouds have on filtering the sunlight,
you may not see a color change in the moon at all. Or it may be striking. The most striking
places to see a penumbral eclipse are where the moon is rising or setting during eclipse.
The moon may look even more reddish than usual because of the rising/setting effects
combining with the other effects.
This eclipse will be visible from most of Europe, eastern Africa, Asia, Pacific islands,
Australia, Alaska, far northwestern Canada, and much of the northern polar region.
This eclipse occurs from 12:37 to 16:40.
Here is a visibility map for this eclipse
Penumbral lunar eclipse - July 7, 2009
All the things said about the February 9 eclipse can be said about this one, except for some
location changes for those who want to see it. It's visible from far eastern parts of Asia,
Australia, the Pacific Ocean, most of the Americas, and Antarctica.
This eclipse occurs from 8:33 to 10:44.
Here is a visibility map for this eclipse
Total solar eclipse - July 22, 2009
The moon will completely block the sun for up to 6 minutes, 29 seconds depending on the viewer's
location. The path of totality will cross parts of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhupan, and China,
then go into the Pacific Ocean. Mumbai will be a bit south of the totality path. However,
Varanasi, Patna, Thimphu, Saidpur, Chongqing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai will be in the path of
totality. Islands in the path of totality include Yaku-shima, Iwo Jima, some of the Marshall
Islands, and some islands of Kiribati. This eclipse's partial phases will be visible from most
of Asia, Malaysia, and other parts of the Pacific Ocean including Hawaii.
Only during the total phase will it be safe to look directly at the eclipse. Before and after
totality and at all times outside the path of totality, you will need eye protection. Use
filters made specifically for observing the sun. Or use a device that can safely project an
image of the sun for you to look at.
Here is a mercator map showing the visibility of this eclipse.
Here is an orthographic map showing the visibility of this eclipse.
Penumbral lunar eclipse - August 5-6, 2009
The February 9 eclipse explanation applies to this eclipse except for the locations from which
it's visible. This one will be visible from eastern North America, South America, the Atlantic Ocean,
Europe, Africa, the Indian Ocean, and Antarctica.
This eclipse occurs from 23:01 on the 5th to 2:17 on the 6th.
Here's a visibility map for this eclipse.
Partial lunar eclipse - December 31, 2009
A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes part of the way into the earth's umbral shadow
cone (the darkest part of the earth's shadow). For this eclipse, only a very small part of the moon
will pass into the umbral cone. You may think of the moon's disk as looking like a cookie with a
nibble taken out near the southern part. The partial phase will last an hour and two minutes.
The eclipse will be visible from the northern fringes of North America, Europe, Africa, Asia,
and most of Australia.
The penumbral phase begins at 17:15 and ends at 21:30. The umbral phase is from 18:52 to 19:54.
Here's a visibility map for this eclipse.
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