Annular Eclipse: The Ring of Fire
Credit & Copyright:
Dennis L.
Mammana (TWAN)
Explanation: The "ring of fire" is the name for
the central view of an
annular
eclipse of the
Sun by the
Moon. At the peak of
this eclipse, the middle of the Sun will appear to be
missing and the dark Moon will appear to be surrounded by the
bright Sun. An
annular
eclipse occurs instead of a
total
eclipse when the
Moon
is on the far part of its
elliptical orbit around the
Earth.
The
next annular eclipse of the Sun will take place in 2010
January, although a
total solar eclipse will occur July 2009. Pictured above, a
spectacular
annular
eclipse was photographed behind palm
trees on January of 1992.
|
