Science

Solar eclipse seen in parts of Africa, Europe and US

Clearest view of a total eclipse on land will be in central Gabon

The sun rises behind the skyline of Manhattan as it is partially eclipsed by the moon today. Photograph: Reuters
The sun rises behind the skyline of Manhattan as it is partially eclipsed by the moon today. Photograph: Reuters
Sun Nov 03 2013 - 15:32

A solar eclipse is visible from Africa, Europe and parts of the US today.

The clearest total eclipse, when the view of the sun is either totally or partially blocked out by the moon, occured in the Atlantic ocean, some 330km south-west of Liberia, at 12.47pm.

The eclipse at this location is expected to last for one minute.

Girls from the Daasanach tribe sit outside their hut at the venue of a welcoming ceremony for tourists ahead of the hybrid solar eclipse expected to take place today, at the remote Sibiloi National Park on the shores of Lake Turkana in Kenya. Photograph: Reuters
Girls from the Daasanach tribe sit outside their hut at the venue of a welcoming ceremony for tourists ahead of the hybrid solar eclipse expected to take place today, at the remote Sibiloi National Park on the shores of Lake Turkana in Kenya. Photograph: Reuters

On land the clearest total eclipse was in central Gabon at 1.50pm (Irish time).

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The total eclipse will then move east across the African continent and partial views of the eclipse will visible in eastern North American states and southern Europe. It will not be visible from Ireland.

The eclipse event started at about 1,000km east of Jacksonville, Florida with the annular eclipse visible for four seconds at sunrise at 11.05am.

As the moon's travels east eclipse will switch from annular to total along a narrow corridor, according to Nasa.

"The eclipse will then continue across Africa through the Congos until it passes through northern Uganda and northern Kenya, ending in southern Ethiopia and Somalia," said the International Astronomical Union.

A partial eclipse will be seen by a range of countries including the eastern North America, northern South America, southern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Agencies