Skywatchers across parts of the Southern Hemisphere were treated to the first partial eclipse of the year today.
The Partial solar eclipse on April 30, one of two that occurred in 2022, swept across parts of South America, Antarctica, the Pacific Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean. The solar eclipse It started at 2:45 PM EDT (1845 GMT) in the far southeast Pacific near the coast of Antarctica. It lasted less than four hours, and ended at 6:37 p.m. EDT (2237 GMT) over the South Atlantic, according to TimeandDate.comAlthough to many observers, the sun is setting and it is still a partial eclipse.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon It passes between the earth and the sun. Today’s celestial event was a partial eclipse, which means that the moon blocks only part of the sun, depending on the viewer’s location. The maximum eclipse occurred at 4:41 p.m. EDT (2041 GMT) today, when the moon obscured about 64% of the sun’s disk for viewers south of the southern tip of South America.
Related: Amazing solar eclipse photos from around the world
Unfortunately for sky watchers, today’s eclipse occurred in largely uninhabited areas of the southeastern Pacific and Antarctica, as well as over some South American countries, including Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia and Peru.
However, viewers in the United States and other regions outside the eclipse path were able to watch the event live, thanks to online broadcasts from Timeanddate.comwhich featured views from Santiago, Chile, parts of Argentina and the India-based YouTube channel. Jian Ki Garibi Livewhich showed views of Cerro Chinoles in the province of Tierra del Fuego in Argentina.
Today’s eclipse also occurred coinciding with the second new Moon of the month, known as a Black moon. Usually, a new moon appears only once a month, when the side facing the Earth is completely covered by a shadow. However, April started with a new moon on the 1st of April and ended with a second moon today.
Related: The 8 most famous solar eclipses in history
The next partial solar eclipse will occur on October 25, when the moon will block out part of the sun for viewers in Europe, western Asia and northeastern Africa. After that, we won’t see another solar eclipse until 2023. However, total Lunar eclipse Just around the corner, starting May 15th.
If you are looking to prepare for the next eclipse and want to learn How to photograph a solar eclipseVerify The best cameras for astrophotography And Best lenses for astrophotography To make sure you’re ready.
Editor’s note: If you took a great photo of a solar eclipse and would like to share it with the readers of Space.com, send your photo(s), comments, name, and location to [email protected].
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