January 26 Annular Eclipse Photos

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An annular solar eclipse earlier today was visible in South-East Asia, southern Africa and Australia. Thanks to M.R. Taufik from Bontang, Indonesia for sharing this image of a complete ring or annulus of light from the sun peeking out from around the moon. Because the moon’s orbit is elliptical, its distance from Earth–and its apparent size—varies. Annular eclipses happen when the moon looks too small to completely cover the sun. Such an event that occurs about 66 times a century.

Image showing the region where the eclipse was visible. Credit: NASA
Image showing the region where the eclipse was visible. Credit: NASA

There were a few photo collections on Flickr of the eclipse; see here, and here. And here’s more from M.R. Taufik.


Here’s a great gallery of eclipse photos.

National Geographic has a few images, too.

The next solar eclipse will occur July 22 this year.

14 Replies to “January 26 Annular Eclipse Photos”

  1. This freaks me out, it seems like only the last full phase when our satellite was at its closest and appearing several per cent larger than its average. Now it can’t even blot out the Sun.

  2. It’s the Recession! Our dollar is weaker and buys less, our moon is smaller and doesn’t cover as much sun as it used to. Where will it all end?

  3. middenrat:

    The shape of an orbit is an ellipse – so at full moon our moon was at about its closest, at the next new moon (when solar eclipses occur) it has completed roughly half an orbit and is therefore nearly its farthest away.

  4. Beatiful pic. wish i would see a similarly event 2 compared to what I’ve seen in my country only 1/4 of the Moon covered the sun. here we had only 40% visibility of the solar eclipse

  5. Nice pictures… I’ll be in Shanghai July 22 this year for the mother of all eclipses….

    Can’t wait!!!

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