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Total Solar Eclipse of July 22, 2009
The central line of the Moon’s shadow begins at 00:53 UT (Universal Time) on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 in India’s Gulf of Khambhat (Bay of Cambay) and crosses through Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, and China. After leaving mainland Asia, the path crosses Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and curves southeast through the Pacific Ocean where the maximum duration of totality reaches 6 min 39 s (Espenak and Anderson, 2006). A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon’s penumbral shadow, which includes most of eastern Asia, Indonesia, and the Pacific Ocean.
To follow the exact path of the total solar eclipse, follow NASA's extracted comprehensive report on the umbral's path.
Follow the exact path visually, with this interactive map of the total solar eclipse on Google.
Total Solar Eclipse of July 22, 2009: Best Places to View
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Whether you are a student of Astronomy or Astrology, total solar eclipses are intriguing and fascinating. Thanks to 21st century technology, live web coverage of this phenomenon is available for viewing in the convenience of your home or workplace.
NASA provided the following links to access live web coverage of the 2009 eclipse. Please pay attention to your own local time zone as NASA's report is set on Universal Time (UT) and the time of the total solar eclipse will vary by region.
* Live Webcast (CHINA) (University of North Dakota - broadcasted in English).
* LIVE! UNIVERSE, Japan Webcast (JAPAN - broadcasted in Japanese)
* Taiwan Webcast Group Webcast (Mainland CHINA - broadcasted in Chinese)
In Los Angeles, California, Griffith Observatory will provide live webcast on the large screen in the Gunther Depths of Space, 5:00-8:00 pm with totality starting at 6:37 pm on July 21, 2009. Griffith Observatory, 2800 East Observatory Road, Los Angeles, CA 90027, General Information Line: 213-473-0800.
The timeline for the webcast on July 21, 2009 is:
5:24 p.m. P.D.T. = First Contact (when the Moon first begins to obscure the Sun)
6:37 - 6:43 p.m. P.D.T. = Totality (when the Moon completely covers the Sun)
8:03 p.m. P.D.T. = Last Contact (when the Moon no longer obscures the Sun)
Eclipse maps and data courtesy of Fred Espenak and Jay Anderson, "Total Solar Eclipse of 2009 July 22" (NASA/TP-2008-214169)
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Related sites:
NASA Total Solar Eclipse July 22, 2009
By Gina Alzate, World Tours and Cruises
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