Solar Eclipse Offers Stunning Vision to Southern Hemisphere
A partial solar eclipse was seen over parts of the southern hemisphere Friday, Nov. 25, as the moon passed between the Earth and the sun.
The eclipse was witnessed in southern South Africa, Antarctica, Tasmania, and most of New Zealand, according to scientists at NASA.
At the highest point, 90.5 percent of the sun's diameter was covered from the location closest to the axis of the Earth's shadow. That eclipse was seen in the Bellingshausen Sea on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Solar eclipses occur when the Earth, moon and sun are aligned on the same plane.
Partial solar eclipses take place when the moon partly covers the sun as it travels between the Earth and the sun.
Friday’s eclipse was in fact the fourth of the year, with previous eclipses taking place Jan. 4, June 1, and July 1.
The next solar eclipse is scheduled for May 20, 2012, and will be visible from China, Japan and parts of the United States.
