Solar eclipse of January 15, 2010

The annular eclipse of 15 January 2010 was the longest solar eclipse with a maximum duration of the annular phase of 11 minutes and 8 seconds for a period of more than 1000 years. The eclipse occurred two days before the perigee ( apogee ) the moon and is also located in January, the earth the sun is relatively close. The apparent diameter of the moon was at 29 ' 15 " so quite small, of the sun is relatively large, so that the moon could cover the sun only 85 percent. Conversely, as in a total eclipse is an annular then very long, when the coverage quite low.

Course

The annular phase of the eclipse began in the Central African Republic, went on through the north of the Congo and crossed Lake Victoria in Uganda. Then the annular eclipse in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya was seen and this was the last African country, before continuing the darkness over the Indian Ocean.

Across the sea, the darkness reached its maximum, the zone with annular visibility then crossed the Maldives before the southern tip of India and Sri Lanka have been achieved. Then the darkness crossed the Bay of Bengal and reached in Myanmar, the country once again. In China, the darkness crossed the metropolis Chongqing and crossed there the shadow path of the eclipse of 22 July 2009, so that in this region the rare opportunity arose to observe two consecutive eclipses.

Chennai, South India

Weather outlook

In Kenya, it was likely to cloud with 90 percent probability. A good way to travel to the darkness, the Maldives have been, because there are virtually no clouds this time of year. In Myanmar, the sky was cloudless, 70 percent in China, the weather forecasts deteriorated again.