Total Eclipse of The Sun
THE ECLIPSE OF THE SUN WESTERN SIBERIA RUSSIA 2008
The majority of hotel rooms in Novosibirsk are booked for the time of the eclipse which is scheduled for 01.08.2008. The range of the eclipse will cover about 250 km crossing Western Siberia from north to south. The path then goes into the Altai and hard to access regions of Mongolia and China.
The maximum duration of the full phase is calculated to be 2 min 37 sec being observed in the area of Nizhnevartovsk. In Novosibirsk it will be 2 min 20 sec. The Altai 2 min 14 sec.
Map of Novosibirsk showing 'Path of Totality'.
A total solar eclipse requires the umbra of the Moon's shadow to touch the surface of the Earth. Because of the relative sizes of the Moon and Sun and their relative distances from Earth, the path of totality is usually very narrow (up to 270 kilometers across). The following figure illustrates the path of totality produced by the umbra of the Moon's shadow.
If you are in the path of totality the eclipse begins with a partial phase in which the Moon gradually covers more and more of the Sun. This typically lasts for about an hour until the Moon completely covers the Sun and the total eclipse begins. The duration of totality can be as short as a few seconds, or as long as about 8 minutes, depending on the details.
Brent and Till from our
office have seen the total eclipse over Antarctica in 2004. They were on the
special charter flight from Melbourne. this flight ended up being a world record
as the longest domestic flight even undertaken - read more..
See details and
pictures.