Eclipse map/figure/table/predictions
courtesy of
Fred Espenak, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
On Monday, October 03, an annular (1) eclipse of the Sun will
be visible from within a narrow corridor which traverses the Iberian
Peninsula and stretches across the African continent. A partial eclipse will
be seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which
includes Europe, western Asia, the Middle East, India and most of Africa.
The path of the annular eclipse begins in the North Atlantic at 08:41 UT.
Rushing southeast, the antumbra quickly reaches the northern coast of Spain
and Portugal (08:51 UT). Bisecting the Iberian Peninsula, the antumbra
engulfs Madrid (08:56 UT) which lies near the central line. The annular
phase will last 04m 11s from this capital city with 90% of the Sun's surface
being obscured by the Moon.
Isla de Ibiza straddles the northern path limit as the
shadow crosses the western Mediterranean. Upon reaching the African
continent, Algiers lies within the shadow's trajectory (09:05 UT) and will
experience an annularity of 03m 51s. Following a southeastern course, the
antumbra passes through southern Tunisia and central Libya where the Moon's
umbral shadow will return six months later during the total eclipse of 2006
Mar 29. After briefly skirting northern Chad, the antumbra sweeps across
central Sudan where greatest eclipse occurs at 10:31:42 UT. The annular
duration is 4m 31s, and the Sun is 71° above the desolate desert landscape.
The central track runs along the southern Sudanese-Ethiopian border before
entering northern Kenya where it engulfs much of Lake Rudolf (11:10 UT).
Southernmost Somalia is the antumbra's final landfall (11:30 UT) before
heading east across the Indian Ocean where the path ends at local sunset
(12:22 UT).
This web site has been established for the purpose of
providing detailed predictions, maps, figures and information about this
important event. Additional and supplemental material for the 2005 Annular
eclipse will be published here as it becomes available.
(1) An annular eclipse differs from a total eclipse in that the Moon appears
too small to completely cover the Sun. As a result, the Moon is surrounded
by an intensely brilliant ring or annulus formed by the uneclipsed outer
perimeter of the Sun's disk. The solar corona is not visible during annular
eclipses. Furthermore, a solar filter or projection is needed to observe all
phases of an annular eclipse
According to Sheridan Williams of Clock-Tower.Com,
the above map shows the northern, southern limits and centre line. For best
effects during an annular you want to be near the north or south limits- the
diagram below roughly sketches what you would see on the centre line:
