Solar eclipse of December 4, 2002

The total solar eclipse of 4 December 2002 was the second total eclipse of the third millennium. She found almost exclusively held in the southern hemisphere and was from all over Europe unobservable.

Course

The eclipse began in the Atlantic Ocean just south of the equator. On the west coast of Africa, in Angola, crossed the shadow path of the eclipse of 2002, the previous total solar eclipse of 21 June 2001. Slightly south of the port city of Sumbe could so in a period of less than two years, two total solar eclipses are observed.

Later in the path of the umbra of darkness slipped from 2002 Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique crossed before he left the African continent. After crossing the Indian Ocean, the umbra reached during the evening hours to the south of Australia and left Australia on the earth.

The maximum of the eclipse took place in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the duration of the total phase was there for 2 minutes and 4 seconds, the umbra was exceed 87 kilometers wide.