On Oct. 2, an annular photo voltaic eclipse can be seen from the Southern Hemisphere. Throughout this occasion, the moon would not utterly cowl the solar from our perspective on Earth, so it leaves a “ring of fireplace” across the moon.
The moon’s shadow will seem to journey at vastly totally different speeds relying in your location. In some locations, it’ll transfer quicker than 6 million mph (10 million km/h); in others, it’ll journey as gradual as 1,278 mph (2,057 km/h), or concerning the velocity of a fighter jet.
In the course of the annular photo voltaic eclipse, the moon’s shadow can be projected onto Earth from northwest to southeast, however as a result of the planet is spherical, the shadow will journey throughout a curved floor. Consequently, the space between a spot experiencing the eclipse and the moon will change continuously. So will the orbital velocity of the moon. Put collectively, these components imply the velocity of the shadow will fluctuate drastically.
Here is a take a look at the place the moon’s shadow will transfer the quickest and the slowest so you possibly can plan for the 2024 annular photo voltaic eclipse. Keep in mind, throughout an annular photo voltaic eclipse, it’s NEVER protected to look straight at the solar with out photo voltaic eclipse glasses designed for photo voltaic viewing. Learn our information on easy methods to observe the solar safely.
Associated: The place can I see the annular photo voltaic eclipse on Oct. 2, 2024?
The place the annular eclipse will transfer the quickest
The occasion will start as an eclipsed dawn, peak at noon and finish with an eclipsed sundown. The curvature of Earth makes an enormous distinction within the obvious velocity of the moon’s shadow throughout its floor, with the extremes of the trail seeing by far the quickest speeds. In spite of everything, that is the place the shadow strikes Earth on the most excessive tangent.
Because it first strikes the center of the Pacific Ocean, south of Hawaii, the moon’s “antumbral” shadow — inside which the “ring of fireplace” can be seen — will transfer at an astonishing 5.31 million mph (8.55 million km/h), in response to Xavier Jubier’s interactive eclipse map. Because it departs the planet 229 minutes later, near the island of South Georgia within the southern Atlantic Ocean, it’ll accomplish that at 6.25 million mph (10 million km/h).
At these exact moments, the moon’s shadow can be touching and leaving Earth, so the velocity of the shadow can be primarily infinite. That renders these alarming figures largely meaningless. Due to this fact, it is extra helpful to think about the shadow’s velocity on the factors the place the ring of fireplace seems useless on the horizon. At these factors, the moon’s shadow will journey at 5,131 mph (8,258 km/h) and eight,893 mph (14,312 km/h), respectively.
The place the annular eclipse will transfer the slowest
The ring of fireplace will final the longest when the moon’s shadow strikes the slowest. On this case, the ring of fireplace will seem for 7 minutes, 25 seconds, as seen solely from a degree within the Pacific Ocean northwest of Easter Island/Rapa Nui, the place the moon’s shadow will transfer at a paltry 1,278 mph (2,057 km/h).
Why so gradual? At this level, it is going to be native noon, with the solar as near overhead because it will get (about 68 levels above north), and the distance between Earth and the moon can be at its minimal. Due to this fact, the moon’s shadow can be as near perpendicular to the floor because it will get, so it’ll seem to maneuver at its slowest. That is the place the shadow will take the longest to maneuver throughout Earth’s floor, so from inside it, the ring of fireplace can be seen for the longest time.
