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Eclipses of 2013
Here’s a rundown on the eclipses of both the Sun (worldwide) and the Moon (North America) for 2013. For more details on these and many eclipses, see http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html.
By Alan Dyer
Click on photos to enlarge.
COURTESY THESKYX™/SOFTWARE BISQUE (ALL)
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May 10
A SOUTH PACIFIC SOLAR ECLIPSE
ANNULAR ECLIPSE DOWN UNDER An annular eclipse of the Sun (similar to the “ring-of-fire eclipse” many saw in the southwestern United States on May 20, 2012) tracks across northern Australia and the South Pacific on May 10. At maximum eclipse in the middle of the path (indicated here), the Moon is directly in front of the Sun for just over six minutes.
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May 24
A BARELY PENUMBRAL LUNAR ECLIPSE
NOT AN ECLIPSE How minor can an eclipse be and still be an eclipse? This is it. On May 24, two weeks after the May 10 annular solar eclipse, the full Moon grazes the outer edge of the Earth’s penumbral shadow. There will be no visible effect whatsoever, but the full Moon will rise exactly at sunset (at “mideclipse” for western Canada) and opposite the Sun.
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October 18
A BIGGER PENUMBRAL LUNAR ECLIPSE
INTO THE PENUMBRA For October 18’s lunar eclipse, the Moon enters more deeply into the penumbral shadow, but not enough to make much of a visible difference to the appearance of the full Moon; it must enter the umbra to have any obvious effect. But, as on May 24, this eclipse occurs at or just after moonrise for North America, for another simultaneous moonrise/sunset.
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A HYBRID ECLIPSE
This odd solar eclipse begins as an annular eclipse at the start of its path, off the east coast of the United States, then turns into a total eclipse in the central Atlantic Ocean. It remains a total eclipse across the Atlantic and moves over Africa, where in northern Kenya, totality lasts just 14 seconds. At the end of the path, in Somalia, the Sun sets during a total eclipse lasting merely one second.
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November 3
PARTIAL ECLIPSE FROM HALIFAX
A PARTIAL ECLIPSE FOR EASTERN CANADA The area of partial eclipse for the November 3 hybrid solar eclipse (within the red boundaries on the path map at left) extends into Atlantic Canada, Quebec and southern Ontario. Halifax sees the greatest extent of partial eclipse for Canada. From Nova Scotia, the Sun rises in eclipse. At maximum eclipse, 20 minutes later, the Moon covers a respectable 44 percent of the Sun.
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