The first solar eclipse of 2010 will occur in the Maldives on January 15th…

An eclipse of the Sun (or solar eclipse) can only occur at New Moon when the Moon passes between Earth and Sun. If the Moon’s shadow falls upon Earth’s surface, we see some portion of the Sun’s disk covered or ‘eclipsed’ by the Moon.

First Solar Eclipse of 2010

The first solar eclipse of 2010 will occur at the Moon’s ascending node in western Sagittarius.

Annular Eclipse

An annular eclipse will be visible from a 300-km-wide track that traverses central Africa, the Indian Ocean and eastern Asia.

Partial Eclipse

A partial eclipse will be seen within the much broader path of the Moon’s penumbral shadow, which includes Eastern Europe, most of Africa, Asia, and Indonesia.

Annular Path of 2010 Solar Eclipse

The annular path of the 2010 solar eclipse begins in westernmost Central African Republic at 05:14 UT. Because the Moon passes through apogee two days later (Jan 17 at 01:41 UT), its large distance from Earth produces an unusually wide path of annularity. Traveling eastward, the shadow quickly sweeps through Uganda, Kenya, and southern Somalia, while the central line duration of annularity grows from 7 to 9 minutes.

For the next two hours, the antumbra crosses the Indian Ocean, its course slowly curving from east-southeast to northeast. The instant of greatest eclipse occurs at 07:06:33 UT when the eclipse magnitude will reach 0.9190. At this instant, the duration of annularity is 11 minutes 8 seconds, the path width is 333 kilometers and the Sun is 66° above the flat horizon formed by the open ocean. Such a long annular duration will not be exceeded for over 1000 years (3043 Dec 23).

First Solar Eclipse of 2010 in Maldives

The central track continues northeast where it finally encounters land in the Maldive Islands (07:26 UT). The capital city Male experiences an annular phase lasting 10 minutes 45 seconds This is the longest duration of any city having an international airport in the eclipse track.

First Solar Eclipse of 2010 in India & Northern Sri Lanka

When the antumbra reaches Asia, the central line passes directly between the southern tip of India and northern Sri Lanka (07:51 UT). Both regions lie within the path where maximum annularity lasts 10 minutes 15 seconds quickly sweeping over the Bay of Bengal the shadow reaches Burma where the central line duration is 8 minutes 48 seconds and the Sun’s altitude is 34°.

First Solar Eclipse of 2010 in China

By 08:41 UT, the central line enters China. The shadow crosses the Himalayas through Yunnan and Sichuan provinces Chongqing lies directly on the central line and witnesses’ duration of 7 minutes 50 seconds with the Sun 15° above the horizon. Racing through parts of Shaanxi and Hubei provinces, the antumbra’s speed increases as the duration decreases. In its final moments, the antumbra travels down the Shandong Peninsula and leaves Earth’s surface (08:59 UT).

Related posts:

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4. Maldives Scuba Diving Holidays 2010
5. Whale Shark Dive Trips 2010
6. Maldives Diving Special Offers – January ’10
7. Hanifaru Bay Dive Trips 2010
8. Summer Holidays 2010 in the Maldives
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