An annular eclipse (not as exciting as a total eclipse) will take place over the Indian Ocean on Monday, January 26. The track pretty much avoids land; only the end of the track goes over Sumatra, Java, and Borneo.
Annual Solar Eclipse of 2009 January 26
I'll have to look for post-eclipse satellite images of the shadow.
The reason I follow eclipses is that I've never seen a total eclipse, though I have seen an annular eclipse. It's a long time to wait until August 21, 2017, but that's really the next best chance. I don't think I can swing a trip to China this July 22, and besides, the air pollution there will make finding decent clear skies difficult. The next one (July 11, 2010) goes over the Southern Pacific; November 13, 2012 barely ticks northern Australia (but combining an eclipse trip with a Great Barrier Reef visit would sure be a great travel itinerary); there isn't another one until March 2015, over the North Atlantic (the only way to see that one would be on an airplane, because of the clouds); March 2016 goes over Indonesia and into the Pacific; and then we're at August 21, 2017.
This proves one thing; if you want to see a total eclipse and you have any way of making it happen, do it. There aren't many opportunities. I'm going to have to think about that trip to Australia in 2012. What could really work would be a trip to New Zealand and a eclipse cruise into the Pacific to chase clear skies (the track goes just a little north of the North Island). Hmmm...
No comments:
Post a Comment