An annular solar eclipse occurs on Friday, 22 September, 2006. While this eclipse has a very wide path and long durations, this means that the Sun will not be darkened as much as by a shorter-lasting eclipse; and as with any annular eclipse, this is never safe to view with the naked eye. The eclipse briefly touches South America at dawn; but the rest of the path is over ocean. Hence, it seems unlikely to attract much attention.
The total eclipse starts in Guyana, in South America, at 09:48:32 UT, and ends in the southern Indian Ocean at 13:31:34 UT. The maximum eclipse is at 11:40:11 UT, when the total phase will last over 7 minutes. The partial eclipse will be visible over large areas of South America, and western and southern Africa between 08:39:57 UT and 14:40:14 UT.
More information on this eclipse may be found at Fred Espenak's site. You can plot the eclipse for yourself using the table of mapping co-ordinates.
Please note that these maps are very approximate. Check with reliable sources before making travel plans.
This map shows the path of the annular eclipse:
The annular eclipse begins at local dawn, 09:52 UT in South America. The path is 320km wide here, and the annular eclipse will last over five and a half minutes; however, it quickly moves off the mainland into the Atlantic, where it curves south round Africa and into the Indian Ocean.
The eclipse ends in the southern Indian Ocean at 13:28 UT.
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Copyright (C) 1995-2005 Ian Cameron Smith.
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