January 26 Annular Eclipse Photos

by Nancy Atkinson on January 26, 2009

Annular Eclipse on Jan. 26. Credit: M.R. Taufik

Annular Eclipse on Jan. 26. Credit: M.R. Taufik



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.


  • kenn hammer

    Beautiful picture. would be nice in high def.

  • middenrat

    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.

  • Alan

    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?

  • Dave

    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.

  • Eric Near Buffalo

    Don’t believe the hype! This wasn’t the moon!

    IT WAS NIBIRU!!!

  • Paula Kay

    Simply beautiful! Thank you for posting.

  • Helio George

    Purrrtty!

  • http://oilismastery.blogspot.com/ OilIsMastery

    Every time there is an eclipse General Relativity is falsified.

  • rikta

    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

  • middenrat

    Thanks for the explanation, Dave, most helpful.

  • David

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

    Can’t wait!!!

  • Yrel

    Beatiful Eclipse, Nice shot

  • ( . )( . )

    it looks like an asshole

  • flora ma

    hai

Previous post:

Next post: