av Knut Jørgen Røed Ødegaard
On March 29, 2006 we will experience the first major solar eclipse close to
Europe since the famous eclipse of August 11, 1999. The zone of totality will
cross parts of Africa, Turkey and continue the the northeast in Asia. This
eclipse will undoubtedly be The celestial phenomenon of 2006 in our part of
the world. Here on Astronomy.no we will have a live webcast from Turkey
delivered by people participating on the large Norwegian expedition.
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During the totality in 1999 tongues of glowing gas could be seen above the
solar limb.
Photo: Bo N. Andersen |
The Sun will disappear for up to 4 minutes and 7 second along the zone of
totality. In Turkey it will last for 3 minutes and 45 seconds - the largest
duration since 1905 in our part of the world!
The zone of totality begins over Atlantic regions of South America, will
cross the Atlantic, turn northeast over parts of Africa, the Mediteranean
and reach the southern parts of central Turkey before it moves to the
northeast through Asia.
THE SKY IN TURKEY DURING THE ECLIPSE
PRE-TOUR IN JANUARY 2006
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Track of the total eclipse on March 29, 2006.
Illustration: F. Espenak, NASA/GSFC
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IMPRESSIVE PHENOMENON
Total solar eclipses are among the most impressive of all phenomena in nature.
People who are so lucky to experience one of them will remember it for the
rest of their lives. Many people make great efforts to enjoy more of them.
During the first, partial phase the light is gradually becoming dimmer as
more and more of the Sun hides behind the Moon. The colors disappears and
everything become mysteriously, silvery grey. Birds and insects stop making
sounds. Below leaf trees lots of "half suns" can be seen as "mirrors" of the
eclipse.
Just before the last part of the Sun disappears behind the Moon, the Sun will
shine through valleys on the Moon. This phenomenon resembles a diamond ring.
Then it becomes dark and the extremely impressive solar corona becomes visible.
This can be stretching for distances several times the radius of the Moon.
It can be shaped like arcs and bands. The corona is made of extremely hot and
teneous gas and can only be spotted from Earth during total eclipses. When
the solar activity is strong as it was during the eclipse in 1999, the
corona is huge. This year the Sun is much calmer and the corona is
expected to be less symmetric.
During the totality it often becomes dark enough that street lights turn on
and stars and planets are visible. Birds often stop singing and insects
think it is night. The temperature often drops quite rapidly during the
eclipse.
To really enjoy the eclipse the weather should be clear, but many clouds
will dissolve due to the reduced solar irradiance. Even in cases that are
looking hopeless the totality has been visible due to disappearing clouds.
After a few minutes the totality ends and everything happens in the
opposite way. The Moon gradually exposes the Sun again.
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The track of the total solar eclipse of March 29, 2006.
This is how the Moon shadow will be moving over the
Earth. Click on the image to start an animation.
Animation: F. Espenak, NASA/GSFC
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THE REASON FOR ECLIPSES
The Moon is moving around the earth in 29.5 days and will at new moon cross
the sky close to the Sun. The orbit of the Moon is inclined by 5 degrees
relative to the orbit of the Earth around the Sun. The Moon will therefore
usually move either above or below the Sun. No eclipse will take place.
Only of the Moon is close to a crossing point between the orbital planes
eclipses will occur.
Strangely enough the Sun is 390 times farther from the Earth than the distance
to the Moon. But the Sun is 400 times bigger than the Moon. The Moon and
the Sun therefore have almost the same apparent dimension in the sky.
The lunar orbit is eccentric. If the Moon is far from the Earth, it is
smaller and only annular eclipses are possible. If the Moon is close to the
Earth a total eclipse is possible.
HOW TO EXPERIENCE THE PHENOMENON
You should not miss this exceptional eclipse! A travel to Turkey may be the
most efficient way to catch it.The eclipse will also be shown live on
www.astronomy.no.
LINKS:
NASA information about this eclipse
Detailed maps
Articles about eclipses (in Norwegian)
ANIMATIONS:
Quicktime animation of the eclipse seen from Antalya in Turkey, 11 MB
CONTACT FOR MEDIA:
Knut Jørgen Røed Ødegaard
Astronomer
Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics
P.O. Box 1029 Blindern
NO-0315 Oslo
NORWAY
Phone: (+47) 22 85 75 22 (Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics)
(+47) 992 77 172 (mobile)
Email: knutjo@astro.uio.no
