On September 1, as a dark shadow falls across the morning sky, a burning ring of fire will rise over Africa. Don’t forget to share it on social media to let others also know about it. And there certainly won’t be any circus performers riding tigers through it.
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A previous eclipse occurred in Nigeria in 2013, and another annular solar eclipse is expected to occur in 2018.
A normal solar eclipse happens when the moon moves between the Earth and the sun, blocking out our star when viewed from earth. For this reason, it is better known as a “ring of fire” eclipse. But most of Africa will be treated to a partial eclipse, as will parts of the Arabian Peninsula and slivers of Indonesia and Western Australia.
This happens because the the moon does not move in a flawless circle around the earth, it is more like a squashed circle or an ellipsis.
Nairobi is now experiencing a partial solar eclipse thanks to the annular solar eclipse that was expected on morning of Thursday, September 1.
The Director said the next annular eclipse would be on February 26, 2017 and shall be visible in Chile, Argentina (South America), Atlantic, Africa, and Antarctica.
The last phase of the annular eclipse will begin at 05:58 pm in Talang Ubi, South Sumatra Province and will end at 06:06 pm in Bengkulu.
For people on the ground, this eclipse will appear as a rare ring in the sky spectacular showcasing the circular shadows.
A report published in Space News revealed, “Dedicated amateur astronomers may have telescopes, but what we really recommend for first-time viewers is just to watch”, Pasachoff said. The edges of the Sun are still visible, allowing a ring of sunlight to seep through behind the moon.
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If you’re reading this from Africa, always protect your eyes during any type of solar eclipse. Simply cover one objective lens (the side you don’t put your eye to) with a cap and point the other objective lens at the sun.
