AFRICAN SOLAR ECLIPSE – Sept 2016

Sky watchers in more than 50 African countries are about to witness a solar eclipse. On Thursday, Sept.1st, the Moon will pass in front of the sun, covering as much as 97% of the solar disk.

This is not a total eclipse, but rather an annular one, in which maximum coverage leaves a thin strip of sun shining around the lunar limb. The narrow path of annularity snakes across Gabon, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Madagascar. For as much as three minutes, people in those countries can see the “ring of fire”.

Outside the path of annularity, the eclipse will be partial. This means the sun will turn into a crescent. Observers in the eclipse zone should look at the sun-dappled ground beneath leafy trees for a unique view of the shadows. The sight of a thousand crescent-shaped sunbeams swaying back and forth on a grassy lawn or sidewalk is unforgettable.

Watch the animation of the Annular Solar Eclipse over Africa on September 1, 2016.