Posted on 01/15/2010 1:25:22 PM PST by TaraP
Millions of people were plunged into darkness today as the longest solar eclipse for 1,000 years turned the Sun into a blazing ring of fire. Such a spectacle will not be seen again until December 23rd, 3043. Unlike eclipses which block out the Sun entirely this one was annular meaning the Moon blocked most of the Sun's middle, but not its edges, causing it to look like a circular band of light. Astronomers said the Maldives island of Male was the best place to view the phenomenon, although the unusual ring effect was also seen in a narrow stretch spanning Central Africa, southern India, northern Sri Lanka and parts of Myanmar and China.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I’ve got my eye on you earthlings!
I fell into a ______ ____ __ ____...
Annular blazing rings of fire. Sounds very uncomfortable.
Very cool!! Thanks for posting!
“Okay, now that you’re fully dialated, we can begin the exam.”
Could also be a great name for a heavy metal album
Only during "total eclipses" can you look directly at the sun, and then, only during the totality part of it.
Annular eclipses can fool a lot of people into burning their eyes...
Viewing the Sun during partial and annular eclipses (and during total eclipses outside the brief period of totality) requires special eye protection, or indirect viewing methods, if eye damage is to be avoided. The Sun's disk can be viewed using appropriate filtration to block the harmful part of the Sun's radiation. Sunglasses do not make viewing the sun safe. Only properly designed and certified solar filters should ever be used for direct viewing of the Sun's disk.[42] Especially, self-made filters using common objects like a floppy disk removed from its case, a Compact Disc, a black colour slide film, etc. must be avoided despite what may have been said in the media.
[ ... ]
It is safe to observe the total phase of a solar eclipse directly with the unaided eye, binoculars or a telescope, when the Sun's photosphere is completely covered by the Moon. During this period the sun is too dim to be seen through filters. The Sun's faint corona will be visible, and the chromosphere, solar prominences, and possibly even a solar flare may be seen. However, viewing the Sun after totality can be dangerous.
That’s one where you’ll burn your eyeballs out and not even know it, when you’re doing it... a very, very bad thing to do...
the burning moon!
hmmm... should my skin be smoldering like this?
I understand Danny Glover said this was caused because of the failure in Copenhagen.
Here in Thailand it was parcial but dark for what seemed to be hours.
And in totally unrelated news two Hobbits and an Elf embarked on their journey to Washington DC this morning.
Dang, I'll miss it. Got an appointment somewhere around Eta Carinae right about then.
One Ring to rule them all,
One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all
and in the darkness bind them.
J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring,
/mark
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