Solar eclipse 2014 - Yes! We now have the first solar eclipse this 2014 in our midst. In just a few hours or so, the moon will be blocking the sun, and darkness will slowly cloth some parts of the earth especially Australia, which is where the best seats to witness this rare phenomenon are located. However, for people who are nowhere near the land Down Under, a free online live stream will be made available to you via several sites (found below).
The solar eclipse 2014 is expected to be very evident in Australia and southern Indonesia as nearly 65 percent of the sun's disk will be obscured by the moon in the said areas. This is the first solar eclipse this year. Another one is expected to appear a few months after.
Solar eclipses happen only when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, as seen from the surface of the earth. The moon then blocks part or all of the sun's disk. When they are aligned perfectly, a total eclipse occurs.
According to scientists, the solar eclipse 2014 this Tuesday will be what scientists refer to as an annular solar eclipse.
The said rare phenomenon is also known as a "ring of fire" solar eclipse, and it is said to occur when the sun is too far from Earth to completely obscure the sun's disk. This results to a bright ring of sunlight surrounding the moon's silhouette, when viewed from the Earth's surface. Unfortunately, the "ring of fire" eclipse can only be seen from one uninhabited spot in Antarctica.
Two skywatching groups, the Slooh community telescope and the Virtual Telescope Project, are going to watch out for and observe the entire duration of the rare phenomenon, which comes just two weeks after the total lunar eclipse on April 15.
"This is a thoroughly bizarre eclipse," astronomer Bob Berman said in a statement. "When Slooh brings its live feeds from Australia, and we watch in real time as the inky black hemisphere of the moon partially obscures the sun, the greatest thrill might be an awareness of what's occurring - unseen by any human - in a tiny region of Antarctica."
The solar eclipse 2014 will begin at 1:15 p.m. local time in Perth, the capital of Western Australia, and it is projected to end at 3:59 p.m. local time. The peak of the solar eclipse will happen at exactly 2:41 p.m. as the moon obscures around 65 percent of the solar disk.
NBC News reports that the spectacular phenomenon will begin later in the day for observers in Melbourne 9around 3:58 p.m.) and Sydney (at 4:13 p.m.) with the sun setting prior to the end of the eclipse.
Slooh's webcast is led by host Geoff Fox and Observatory Director Paul Cox, and feature guest expert Dr. Lucie Green, a BBC contributor and solar researcher at the Mullard Science Laboratory, UCL's Department of Space and Climate Physics.
On the other hand, the Virtual Telescope Project webcast is headed by astrophysicist Gianluca Masi in Ceccano, Italy.
For people who want to view the first solar eclipse 2014 via Slooh's webcast, simply visit Slooh.com to watch it live. You may also download the Slooh iPad app for easier access.
The solar eclipse 204 is set to happen in the afternoon of Tuesday, April 29, Australia local time. You may watch the solar eclipse online via live stream by visiting Space.com.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
