Get ready, because this month hosts an impressive cosmic event. This month we have the only total solar eclipse for 2015, and it is occurring on the spring equinox—Friday, March 20th. If that's not enough, this is going to be hybrid eclipse. That means that at some points on our planet, it will look like there is a total eclipse, and at other points it will look like an annular eclipse (where the moon is too small to completely cover the sun).
Annular solar eclipse. Image credit: Kevin Baird
How rare is this eclipse? Well, the last total solar eclipse on the March equinox occurred back in 1662 (this equinox was also on March 20th). The last hybrid eclipse was on March 20th, 1681.
So, who gets to see the show? All of Europe, the northern swath of the African continent, north-central Asia, and the Middle East will get front row seats. However, the eclipse will be deeper percentage-wise the farther north you are.
Try not to be too upset if you aren't getting tickets for this go-round. North America may be missing out this time; however, most of the continent will have great views of the year's remaining two lunar eclipses, which occur on April 4th and September 28th.
Photo: Greg Wood/AFP/Getty Images
Ultimately, this year will have four eclipses. 2015 has two total lunar eclipses and two solar eclipses (one total solar and one partial solar). However, don't be too impressed by those numbers, because four is the minimum number of solar eclipses that can possibly occur in 365 days.
The 287 mile wide path (462 kilometer) will ht the south of Greenland at 9:13 UT before racing across the North Atlantic towards the pole and departing the Earth at 10:21 UT.
Notably, part of southern Spain might be able to see a transit of the International Space Station (ISS) at the same time as the eclipse. You can check
CALSKY as the date approaches foe more accurate predictions.
The ISS transits the Sun during the eclipse around 9:05 UT as seen from southern Spain. Credit: Starry Night.
Of course, as always, safety is paramount. Eye protection is recommended throughout the process. As David Dickinson from Universe Today notes, "A proper solar filter mask constructed of Baader safety film is easy to construct, and should fit snugly over the front aperture of a telescope. No. 14 welder’s goggles are also dense enough to look at the Sun, as are
safety glasses specifically designed for eclipse viewing. Observing the Sun via projection or by using a
pinhole projector is safe and easy to do."
Of course,as is always true of cosmic events, weather is a major concern. Unfortunately, trying to see the sky in the cold months isn't terribly easy. "March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb," as they say, which basically means that the start of the money is often cloudy and stormy. Moreover, the low elevation of the eclipse could make visibility even worse.
Can’t make it to the eclipse? Live in the wrong hemisphere? There are already a few planned webcasts for the March 20th eclipse:
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