Best Annular Eclipse for 1,000 years

http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1808583/best_annular_eclipse_for_1000_years_closing_in/index.html

Annular Solar Eclipse - Moon to pass in front of sun - January 15, 2010 between 0500 and 0900 UT

ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE:

The Moon is about to pass directly in front of the sun, producing an annular solar eclipse on Jan. 15th between 0500 and 0900 UT. Onlookers in Africa, the Middle East, India and Asia should be alert for crescent-shaped shadows and "ring of fire" suns.

LINK: ANIMATED MAP

http://shadowandsubstance.com/

White clouds surround the partial eclipse in the Chinese province of Shanxi. On the side is a silhouette of a statue of Houyi, a legendary Chinese hero who was a great archer. According to ancient mythology, he shot down nine suns with his bow and arrow to eliminate drought in the area. (Reuters)

Link | Solar Eclipse Videos - from Japan, the Philippines and China.

HAARP's Magnetometer shows interesting peaks during the time of the Solar Eclipse ...

The HAARP magnetometer indicating variations in earth's magnetic field really taking a spike right now! Eclipse? July 21, 2009 10:20pm CDT Updated

UPDATED HAARP Magnetometer continues to SPIKES tonite!
Updated time of this screen photo: 12:45pm CDT July 22, 2009

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Wonder if the eclipse has anything to do with this?


Geomagnetic storminess is usually indicated in oscillatory variations in the earth's magnetic field. Additional detail concerning the nature and severity of the ionospheric disturbance can be found through analysis of the three components of the field.

Eclipse LIVE SCHEDULE: July 21, 2009 (USA)
UTC - 01:26:41
EASTERN - 09:26:41 PM
CENTRAL - 08:26:41 PM
MOUNTAIN - 07:26:41 PM
PACIFIC - 06:26:41 PM
Wuhan - 09:26:41 AM July 22, 2009 (China)

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LINKS | View Live Webcam Of Total Solar Eclipse 2009

Longest Total Solar Eclipse Of 21st Century

LIVE WEBCAMS:
1. China - (LIVE) at Wuhan,Hubei, by University Of North Dakota
2. Japan - (LIVE) Japanese, Chinese, and English languages.
3. Taiwan - (Mainland China)
4. Guwahati - (LIVE) at Guwahati, India. Guwahati city invites you to witness the historic solar eclipse at sunrise on July 22, 2009.

LIVE SCHEDULE: July 21, 2009 (USA)
UTC - 01:26:41
EASTERN - 09:26:41 PM
CENTRAL - 08:26:41 PM
MOUNTAIN - 07:26:41 PM
PACIFIC - 06:26:41 PM
Wuhan - 09:26:41 AM July 22, 2009 (China)

DURATION: 6 MINUTES 39 SECONDS

On Wednesday, July 22, 2009, a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half of Earth. The path of the Moon’s umbral shadow begins in India and crosses through Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and China.

After leaving mainland Asia, the path crosses Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and curves southeast through the Pacific Ocean where the maximum duration of totality reaches 6 min 39 seconds. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon’s penumbral shadow, which includes most of eastern Asia, Indonesia, and the Pacific Ocean.
Source: NASA

This solar eclipse is the longest total solar eclipse that will occur in the twenty-first century, and will not be surpassed in duration until June 13, 2132.

Science departments in China hope to warn the public about the eclipse to avoid panic and superstition.

For more information about solar eclipses click — here.

Join us for this historic occasion!

Related Links:
* Exploratorium - Total Solar Eclipse: Stories from the path of totality
* NASA Eclipse Web Site - Past, Present, and Future Eclipses
* Total Solar Eclipse Path 2009 - YouTube

Millions of people in Asia will see the longest total solar eclipse this century on Wednesday as swaths of India and China are plunged into darkness.

Science.NASA.gov | Longest Solar Eclipse of the 21st Century - Wednesday, July 22nd

July 20, 2009: One one-thousand, 2 one-thousand, 3 one-thousand, 4 one-thousand...

Continue counting and don't stop until you reach 399 one-thousand.

Did that feel like a long time? Six minutes and 39 seconds to be exact. That's the duration of this week's total solar eclipse--the longest of the 21st century.

The event begins at the crack of dawn on Wednesday, July 22nd, in the Gulf of Khambhat just east of India. Morning fishermen will experience a sunrise like nothing they've ever seen before. Rising out of the waves in place of the usual sun will be an inky-black hole surrounded by pale streamers splayed across the sky. Sea birds will stop squawking, unsure if the day is beginning or not, as a strange shadow pushes back the dawn and stirs up a breeze of unaccustomed chill.

Most solar eclipses produce this sort of surreal experience for a few minutes at most. The eclipse of July 22, 2009, however, will last as long as 6 minutes and 39 seconds in some places, not far short of the 7 and a half minute theoretical maximum. It won't be surpassed in duration until the eclipse of June 13, 2132.

From the Gulf of Khambhat, the Moon's shadow will race east across India, China, and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. Click on the image to launch an animated map:

Above: Clicking on this image will launch an animated global map of the July 22nd eclipse. Regional animations of India and China are also available. Credit: Larry Koehn of ShadowAndSubstance.com.

The path of totality cuts across many large cities. The shadow will linger over Shanghai, the largest city in China, for six full minutes, giving 20 million residents a lengthy and stunning view of the sun's ghostly corona. Other large cities in the path of totality include Surat, Vadodara, Bhopal, Varanasi, Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, Hefei, Hangzhou. The population of each numbers in the millions, making this possibly the best-observed solar eclipse in human history.

The eclipse is extra-long because of a lucky coincidence, made possible by the elliptical shape of planetary orbits. On July 22nd, Earth happens to be near its farthest point from the sun. A small sun means the Moon can cover it longer. At the same time, the Moon will be near its closest point to Earth. A large Moon covers the sun longer, lengthening the eclipse even more.

The leisurely pace of the eclipse could have a transformative effect on witnesses. Total eclipses have been known to turn ordinary folk into life-long "eclipse-chasers" willing to spend thousands of dollars and travel tens of thousands of miles to feel the Moon's cool shadow and behold the sun's pale atmosphere just one more time. A few extra minutes of wonder will intensify this effect to an unknown degree.

Live webcasts of the eclipse--not the next best thing to being there, but the only substitute available to many readers--may be found at the website of the San Francisco Exploratorium.

Let the counting begin.

SpaceWeather.com | 21st Century's longest Solar eclipse on Wednesday, July 22nd

WAITING FOR THE ECLIPSE: On July 22nd, the longest solar eclipse of the 21st century will take place in Asia. Traveling phtographer Olivier Staiger took this picture from Shanghai, where he is waiting for the lights to go out:

"The high skyscraper with the hole is the Shanghai World Financial Center, the other one is the Jin Mao building," says Staiger. "The sun halo was caused by a hazy layer of icy clouds hanging over the city."

Shanghai is the largest city in China with a population greater than 20 million. On Wednesday, the Moon's shadow will linger over the great metropolis for nearly six full minutes, giving residents a stunning and lengthy view of the Sun's ghostly corona. In addition to Shanghai, the path of totality crosses a number of other large cities in India and China--e.g., Surat, Vadodara, Bhopal, Varanasi, Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, Hefei, Hangzhou--each with populations numbering in the millions. This could be the best-observed solar eclipse in human history.

Stay tuned for pictures, and meanwhile enjoy these animated eclipse maps created by graphic artist Larry Koehn.