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Total solar eclipse of 2008
On August 1st, 2008, starting in the morning, over northern Canada, observers on Earth could watch this years only total solar eclipse. While a partial eclipse could be seen over a larger area, the shadow of totality passed over Greenland, Norway and Russia, then evaporated into the night sky over China. Here you will find a collection of photographs of this eclipse, and people here on Earth, taking it all in. (18 photos total) (Also, for more Boston Globe Photography - be sure to check out our new Globe Photography page)
A camel is silhouetted against the sun partly blocked by the moon during a solar eclipse in Gaotai, Gansu province August 1, 2008. (REUTERS/Aly Song)
A bride watches the total solar eclipse through smoky glass in the western Siberian city of Tyumen on Friday, Aug. 1, 2008, with Troitsky (Trinity) Orthodox Monastery in the background. An enormous swathe of western Siberian was submerged in darkness Friday afternoon as the moon completely blocked out the sun. (AP Photo/Marat Gubaidullin)
A bird flies in the sky as a solar eclipse is seen in Xiangfan in central China's Hubei province Friday Aug. 1, 2008. Millions of Chinese along the ancient Silk Road gathered Friday to gaze at a total solar eclipse, an event traditionally fraught with superstitious meaning coming one week before the start of the Beijing Olympics. (AP Photo)
Local residents wait for the total solar eclipse in the mountainous Siberian Altai region, about 3,000 kilometers (1,850 miles) east of Moscow, on Friday, Aug. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Oleg Romanov)
A diamond ring effect is seen during a solar eclipse above River Ob in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, August 1, 2008. A solar prominence can be seen erupting on the right side. Thousands flocked to Novosibirsk to observe day turned into night. They watched as an eerie silence descended on the Siberian city and gusts of unusually strong wind tore through the crowd. Birds stopped chirping and the temperature suddenly dropped. (REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin)
People watch the sun being blocked by the moon during a solar eclipse in Gaotai, Gansu province, China on August 1, 2008. (REUTERS/Aly Song)
A woman uses "eclipse glasses" to watch the solar eclipse, which the Chinese word for is "Rishi" meaning "eaten sun", at the Jiayuguan Fort on the Great Wall of China in the town of Jiayuguan, Gansu province, August 1, 2008. (REUTERS/David Gray)
The partial solar eclipse is seen against a crescent of Islamabad's grand Faisal mosque in Pakistan on Aug 1, 2008. (AP Photo/B.K.Bangash)
People watch an eclipse of the sun in the Altai region, some 300 km (186.4 miles) from Barnaul, Russia on August 1, 2008. A dark shadow swept across Russia on Friday as thousands of skywatchers from all over the world flocked to Siberia to see this years eclipse. (REUTERS/Andrei Kasprishin)
An airplane flies past during a partial solar eclipse in Almaty, Kazakhstan on August 1, 2008. (REUTERS/Zturgan Aldauyev)
Children take a look at a partial solar eclipse through special solar glasses at a planetarium in Gauhati, India, Friday, Aug. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, the total solar eclipse is observed at 7:15 pm (1115 GMT) on Friday, Aug. 1, 2008 in Jinta County of Jiuquan City, northwest China's Gansu Province. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Han Chuanhao)
Maria Shciskina, wearing solar glasses, watches the partial eclipse of the sun visible in Kaivopuisto Park, Helsinki, Finland on Friday, Aug. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Martti Kainulainen/Lehtikuva)
People sit, silhouetted as they watch the sun being blocked by the moon during a solar eclipse in Gaotai, Gansu province, China on August 1,2008. (REUTERS/Aly Song)
Two men watch a partial solar eclipse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on August 1, 2008. (REUTERS/Fahad Shadeed)
A woman attempts to take photos of a solar eclipse through exposed x-ray film in Xian, China Friday Aug. 1, 2008. Told that it would be safe to watch Friday evening's solar eclipse through exposed X-ray film, many Chinese on Xi'an's city wall tried to take photos through it as well. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)
A woman reaches out while looking at the moon partly eclipsing the sun, in St.Petersburg, Russia, Friday, Aug. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
A solar eclipse can be seen above the Jiayuguan Fort on the Great Wall of China in the town of Jiayuguan, Gansu Province, China on August 1, 2008. (REUTERS/David Gray)
More links and information:
Solar Eclipse of August 1, 2008 - Wikipedia entry
Total Solar Eclipse of 2008 - NASA site
Webcast from China - from NASA
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
the clouds are great in the plane shot.
I love The Big Picture, its always a pleasure to look at it. Thanks for the great stories, hope that you like our page either.
http://www.thejunction.de
Cheers
Chan-Ho
Editor of TheJunction
wow, very beautiful shot.
Quick science question here:
Is the moon "exactly" the right size to cover the sun? Or is the sun appear smaller than the moon.
What are the odds?
The lady in the 16th photo down has lupus.
("House" joke.)
Love it, love it, love it..... your pictures have just made my day!
Beautiful. That last picture is breathtaking!
To A_Photo_Editor:
Because the Earth's orbit around the Sun is elliptical, the Sun will appear to be ever so slightly larger or smaller as its distance varies from us through the year. Similarly, because the Moon's orbit around Earth is elliptical, it will also appear ever so slightly larger or smaller through the month. Put these factors together, the Moon will cover the Sun completely during some eclipses but not others. Total eclipses happen when the Moon completely covers the Sun, and the duration of totality depends on how much larger the Moon appears to us at that particular time. The cases where the Moon lines up directly in front of the Sun but doesn't obscure it completely are called annular eclipses. If the Moon partially covers the Sun but is not directly in front of it, that's a partial eclipse.
By the way, the Moon and Sun only appear large in the sky because we compare them against either a background of pinpoint stars or distant objects on the horizon, but they're really not that big compared to your field of vision. They're both about the size of an aspirin pill held out at arm's length (approximately, depending on how long your arm is).
What a wonderful website. I'm totally addicted to The Big Picture. I can wait for more posts! Keep up the great work. Amazing pictures!
Amazing pictures! That camel is funny! :)
Alex
http://www.recentnews.co.uk
I absolutely love this site!! The pictures are top notch and really make you pause and admire and explore the subject of each shot.
The people on the beach is a great shot! It's like they're watching a 3D sci-fi flick.
The picture of the eclipse against Islamabads devil-horn looking cresent is just plain eerie and smacks of doom.
Leak -
Thanks for offending all the muslims with your devil-horn and doom comment. At least we don't nail people to crosses.
Settle down religous nuts... the books of all religion are mostly fiction, anyway.
Impressive pictures! Picture 8 is truly beautiful. So many history behind that symbol and so many history behind moon eclipse.
This is the best blog ever, fantastic work, I can't get tired.
lovely
although i'm not one to egg on any religious debates/furor, i have to say:
nice comeback, alexandra blaze.
LOL
It would be nice to know how to photograph solar eclipses. Any good pointers to sites with explanations?
Why didn't anyone tell me this was happening?! Great photos, though.
@Alexandra Blaze -
You mean the Romans?
Granted, "devil-horn" was a silly comment, it's a crescent just like the shape of the partial eclipse. "smacks of doom" also was a poor leap to make.
That said, the juxtaposition of the two shapes, with the mist/smoke did make for what I thought was an eerie photo.
Great shots again.
Juan - not sure I like everything about that shot...
Really nice shots of last week's eclipse!
@ Jess Have --
Here is an article on the basics of solar eclipse photography:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/eclipses/3070066.html
I saw the 2006 solar eclipse in the Libyan Sahara, and have posted some shots that I took here: http://homepage.mac.com/davidgreen/PhotoAlbum12.html
Totally unrelated to today's post: Alan, could you add numbers to the photographs? It would make it much easier for me (and others, I'm assuming) when comments refer to specific numbered photographs.
Just a thought, and keep up the great work!
This site just gets better and better,keep up the good work
I love this blog.
Awesome pictures...how fortunate all these people were for being able to witness this amazing eclipse!!! I'm SO jealous!!! I have seen one total solar eclipse...and would so love to see another one!!
I am religiously high-strung, but I still think this is a Sign because it
is somehow related to the Fef. 1979 Solar Eclipse.
FORTY-TWO!
1. How is this eclipse related to the 1979 one?
2. How is either one a sign?
LMAO @ FORTY-TWO
These photos bring tears to my eyes.. truly amazing!!
Классные фото =)
That first picture is amazing on so many levels, gotta make it into the best pictures of 2008 photo album.
lolz @ 45
What a fabulous site - magnificent photos of fascinating subjects. The eclipse pics are particularly stunning.
The atmosphere acts as a lens. Like mist will create rainbows, the atmosphere bends the light. This means any object looks bigger when it's rising from the horizon.
To continue to suggest that it has anything to do with our field of vision is ridiculous. Keep trying though; it's comical.
Truly unique blog. Thank you for the always amazing photos.
@50
Ah. Finally you shared your wisdom with us underlings.
BTW. Water drops and light rays create rainbows. If you want to seem sooooo high above us then be specific...
i like very much to get more information through your website.
So,how can i do so as to get it?
I AM;HENRY TEMIGUNGA,
P.O. BOX 4626,
MBALIZI,MBEYA,
TANZANIA,EAST AFRICA.
The reason the moon fits over the sun so perfectly is an astounding circumstance of solar mathematics. The distance from the Earth to the Sun is approximately 400 times the distance from the Earth to the Moon. Marry that with the fact that the Sun's Diameter is approximately 400 times larger than the Moon's and you get the perfect fit.
Without this fit you wouldn't get to see the diamond ring and you wouldn't be able to use the moon's masking effect to see the solar prominances.
@ Gerb
Not quite so astounding. The moon has been retreating from Earth since its creation, so in the past it blocked out the sun completely, in the future it will not. Just a matter of out timing of looking up at the sky.
What more can you ask for; joy, amazement on peoples faces. With a common setting all over the globe. Man...oh man. Good work. -Finnish lad
Is that old woman in Siberia wearing CROCS?
Oh Very nice pictures....
Who said you cant see a total eclipse at the beach any day ?
really amazing
I love the shot of the three beachers. It's just so humane, so natural, the "fat" belly, the girl with her open mouth...
I love it :)
Love it,amazing,great photos,thank you for sending it.
To Hax: This is a shortened version of the reply I wrote last night that evidently got eaten. Your idea of the atmosphere acting as a lens is incorrect. The moon's apparent size increase when it is near the horizon has nothing to do with atmospheric refraction. In fact, if anything, the moon is actually slightly smaller. Please look up "moon illusion refraction" in your favorite search engine and read the results.
What a Good Sign from Allah. It is a lesson for knowledgeble people that any thing can be happen to any body any time.
I was waiting for Eclipes in Saudi Arabia , but it was not complete.
Many people enjoy , but i am worried about non-believers . What will happen with them on day of Judgement.
I prayer that Prophet Jeses A.S will come and make every body muslim .
Sorry, if i broke anybody's heart. This what i observed.
kevjohn.. you just made our evening...lupus indeed...
#4
crocs!
brilliant picture by the way
Your site is always great, photos are fantastic, don't stop and don't fill this with advertising , please, we love it
how good of a tan can you get from an eclipse
I've never seen a total eclipse, but that pictures let us know the wonder of our nature.
Wondrous....looking at the images seeing the people with shock on their faces from such experiences......tis what its about...!
ya good phtos nice photography
green canada woman letter england sun all red
i Love this world....
i am irani and it is very welllllllllllllllllll tank you
The photo released by China's news agency is probably fake.
єЬєГєЬЗїґуЈЎ
Just like it's happening now.
What an incredible site with amazing photos.
You must be very proud.
amazing!!!!!!
Fotos muito oportunas. Parabens para quem as conseguiu.
Cannot say anything !!
خطييييييير
A great collection of of Photos, I have always said every picture tells a story.
sweet i love the pictures they rock
WOW, LOL, OMG, these pics r TOTALLY!!! the coolest
it helped me.
thats asom
Fotos muito oportunas. Parabens para quem as conseguiu
that was so cool
that was awsome
wow soooooooo cool luv it really much because iz soooo fasinatin g to si that.
wow. this is amazing! i am like so jealous of those people. I hatethe picture with the woman with the belly fat, it looks ccrawny
WOq everones right this is amazing! I live in america, I wish I could have been in China to see this wonderful event! Great job on the pictures!
WOW
WOW, THAT IS LIKE NOTHING I HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE!!!!!!
I've read that the Moon is 400 times smaller than the Sun and the Sun is 400 times further from Earth than the moon, which is why a total eclipse can perfectly cover the Sun. The article said that this is a coincidence. Interesting and amazing!
Awesome, I came here to see how eclipses effect different religions but thank you Allan in all your wisdom you have straightened me out by answering the eternal question..Religion is junk... all the studies of theologians and leaned men who have devoted their entire lives to the eternal question when all they had to do would be to click on your intro- how amazing you are..May I suggest something to you Allen..Stick to doing this it is absolutely amazing and leave the study of God to each individual !
Amazing!!!!
I wanna see one like that!
Thanks
Amazing!!!
I wish that the Nest Solar Eclipse Can Be Seen on the Philipines...
Notice it was not NOT a total ecliipse.
Aspredicted by End Time Prophet the sun is getting closer to Earth.
Since I am an addic about this even that i am still 10 yrs old turning eleven on March 21,2009,I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;-)
dude
life changing!!!!!! im going to explode!!! take me to the next eclipse! by the way , spectacular job on the photographs!!!!!
Да, похоже что в действительности - так оно и есть. P.S. Сайт, кстати, у вас прикольно сверстан :)
My comment is to all those that have been at this site before and have never seen a total eclipse of the Sun. -- We should pull our resources and be sure that at least some us us can be witnesses to this awesome display that puts our existence on the "third rock" into perspective. --- Here's what I'm suggesting.
We all know where and when this celestial event will happen - So we start to put money in a "kitty", with a date, time and place. When/if we have enough dough to allow five (5) of us [ I'd prefer all of us} to travel to the site, we pull the trigger, spend our wad, meet each other and share the experience with "like-minded" people. Could it be any better??
these are some cool pictures but whats up with the peoples faces. we dont want to see them we want to see the pictures of the eclipses. who ever put the pictures on here is good.
totaky asome yea!
ooooh! pritty moon!!!!!
This may have been posted already, but the reason the eclipse seems so dramatically large in some of the photographs has nothing to do with ill-informed claims of refraction through the atmosphere and everything to do with clever camera placement.
The shots are taken with a really long telephoto lens. The sun and the people are both sufficiently past (lens) infinity that they are in focus. The people don't have to move very far away from or towards the camera before the effect is ruined. The photographer was either very lucky or (more reasonably because she is a professional) planned in advance.
very good
wow that is so awesome
really fantastic...i'm so lucky..that i can enjoy....the great moment......
it so so beautiful i cant see that in my whole life in face to
face
just amazingggg
wow i have never seen a solar eclips or a lunar eclips so i was talking to mi unc a bout it and it was very intersting