Solar eclipse of August 11, 1999

Common card · No. 439380

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Wednesday, August 11, 1999, with a magnitude of 1.0286. It is considered to be one of the most-viewed total solar eclipses in human history. A solar eclipse is when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the light of the sun for a viewer on earth. A total solar eclipse is when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into night. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Occurring about 3.5 days after perigee (on August 8, 1999, at 0:30 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger. It was the first total eclipse visible from Europe since July 22, 1990, and the first visible in the United Kingdom since June 29, 1927. The path of the Moon's shadow began in the Atlantic Ocean roughly 300 km (190 mi) south of Nova...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0