Rare hybrid solar eclipse event on November 3, 2013
Annular total solar eclipse will sweep over the Atlantic Ocean and the middle of Africa on November 3, 2013. The eclipse will be total only along a narrow path over the Atlantic Ocean and equatorial Africa from Gabon to Somalia. Most of Africa, the Middle East, southern Mediterranean including Spain, northern South America, and the Caribbean will see the partial phase of the eclipse.
It is the last eclipse this year, and also the second solar eclipse and fifth eclipse overall in 2013. This particular eclipse is 23rd of the 72 eclipses in Saros 143 cycle.
What makes makes it more special is that it will be annular eclipse along the first 15 seconds before it transits to a total eclipse phase due the Moon's shadow which will pass close enough to the Earth to cover the disk of the Sun. Eclipse like this is rare and it is called a hybrid eclipse.
Annular-total solar eclipse of 2013 November 3 from Michael Zeiler on Vimeo.
At 10:04 UTC the partial phase of the eclipse begin and after one hour an annular eclipse follows. After 15 seconds the eclipse transitions from an annular to a total along its track.The point of greatest eclipse, with a maximum duration for totality at 1 minute & 40 seconds, starts at 12:46 UTC, occurring off of the SW coast of Liberia along the coast of Africa.
Eclipse visibility path map (Credit: F. Espenak)
Local circumstances for the hybrid solar eclipse of November 03 2013 – Timetable
Xavier Jubier's interactive solar eclipse Google map
Eclipse magnitude map (Credit: EclipseMaps/M.Zeiler)
Cartographer Michael Zeiler presents detailed maps and graphical information on his website.
You can also watch eclipse broadcast on Slooh Space Camera or via BRCK live broadcast from the shores of Lake Turkana in Kenya.
Venus will be also easily visible at magnitude -4.4 just 47 degrees east of the Sun.
Featured image: Sun in stage of full eclipse (Credit: TimeAndDate)
Astronomical events are useful for keeping ourselves, our world, and our universe in perspective.