There are two solar eclipses this year. If you haven't experienced it yet, dude, you're in for a treat.
Annular solar eclipse on May 20–21, 2012
The first solar eclipse in 2012 will be an annular solar eclipse on May 20–21. This is the first annular eclipse visible from the United States in 18 years.
Check for local times for this eclipse all over the world.
Be sure to protect your eyes while watching the eclipse!
The eclipse will also be seen from eastern Asia and the northern Pacific. It starts in Asia at 20:56 (8.56pm) Universal Time (UT) on May 20, 2012, and ends in the US at 02:49 (2.49am) UT on May 21, 2012.
The animation shows where the eclipse will be visible (white, gray and red shading) as well as day and night (dark “wave” slowly moving across the Earth's surface).
The red area illustrated in the picture below shows where the eclipse will be most visible. In the dark line in the center of the red area, the moon will pass directly in front of the sun, but not covereing it entirely. The moon blocks all sunlight except for a bright ring of sunlight on the ouuter edges, which is characteristic for annular solar eclipses.
The grey and white shades in the animation indicate areas where the sun will only be partly covered.
The Eclipse's Path
The dark strip in the center indicates the best locations for viewing the eclipse. Here the moon will appear in the center of the sun's disk. The eclipse will also be visible in the areas that are shaded red, but to a lesser degree. The fainter the red shading the less the sun will appear to be covered.
Time zone converter
The World Clock’s Time Zone Converter helps you find when the eclipse will occur in your local time. Universal Time (UT), a timescale based on the earth’s rotation, is about 0.58 seconds behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) during most of May 2012.
Annular solar eclipse on May 20–21, 2012
The first solar eclipse in 2012 will be an annular solar eclipse on May 20–21. This is the first annular eclipse visible from the United States in 18 years.
Check for local times for this eclipse all over the world.
Be sure to protect your eyes while watching the eclipse!
The eclipse will also be seen from eastern Asia and the northern Pacific. It starts in Asia at 20:56 (8.56pm) Universal Time (UT) on May 20, 2012, and ends in the US at 02:49 (2.49am) UT on May 21, 2012.
The animation shows where the eclipse will be visible (white, gray and red shading) as well as day and night (dark “wave” slowly moving across the Earth's surface).
The red area illustrated in the picture below shows where the eclipse will be most visible. In the dark line in the center of the red area, the moon will pass directly in front of the sun, but not covereing it entirely. The moon blocks all sunlight except for a bright ring of sunlight on the ouuter edges, which is characteristic for annular solar eclipses.
The grey and white shades in the animation indicate areas where the sun will only be partly covered.
The Eclipse's Path
The dark strip in the center indicates the best locations for viewing the eclipse. Here the moon will appear in the center of the sun's disk. The eclipse will also be visible in the areas that are shaded red, but to a lesser degree. The fainter the red shading the less the sun will appear to be covered.
Time zone converter
The World Clock’s Time Zone Converter helps you find when the eclipse will occur in your local time. Universal Time (UT), a timescale based on the earth’s rotation, is about 0.58 seconds behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) during most of May 2012.
