Stunning ‘Ring of Fire’ Eclipse Over South Africa on Sunday PHOTOS
South Africa was one of the lucky countries to experience the first solar eclipse (when the moon covers the sun) of 2017… which was only visible over parts of the Southern Hemisphere today, Sunday 26 February 2017. See photos below by MADHURI KOOVERJEE CHAVDA, MARK HARLEY, NIGEL RILEY and ALAN RUDNICKI. The ‘Ring of Fire’, […]
South Africa was one of the lucky countries to experience the first solar eclipse (when the moon covers the sun) of 2017… which was only visible over parts of the Southern Hemisphere today, Sunday 26 February 2017. See photos below by MADHURI KOOVERJEE CHAVDA, MARK HARLEY, NIGEL RILEY and ALAN RUDNICKI.
The ‘Ring of Fire’, an annular eclipse, means a sliver of the sun’s surface is still visible around the moon.
Depending on where one stood, the moon appeared to block varying amounts of the sun.
Space.com said “For those who are properly positioned along a narrow path some 8,500 miles (13,700 kilometers) long and averaging roughly 45 miles (72 km) wide, the dark disk of the moon will briefly be surrounded by a dazzling “ring of fire” as the lunar disk passes squarely in front of the sun.”
Others, outside of the path would still see a partial solar eclipse.
Apparently it was only visible to half a billion people (!) – in some parts of South America, southern Africa and part of Antarctica. The African countries within the narrow path included Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo… where the sun would have resembled a “fiery hoop” at sunset rather than the usual reddened ball, said Space.com.
There will be a total eclipse of the sun later this year on 21 August… but only visible in North America.
MORE