Annular Solar Eclipse (21 May 2012)

This morning, there was an annular solar eclipse accross Asia. The solar eclipse will also be visible at North America.

An annular solar eclipse seen from Tokyo, Japan, on May 21. Millions turned their eyes to the sky on both sides of the Pacific to gaze excitedly as a solar eclipse created a “ring of fire” at dawn in Asia and crept towards a darkening western United States. (AFP Photo/Kazuhiro Nogi)

An annular solar eclipse appears during a break in clouds over Taipei, Taiwan, Monday, May 21, 2012. The annular eclipse, in which the moon passes in front of the sun leaving only a golden ring around its edges, was visible to wide areas across China, Japan and elsewhere in the region before moving across the Pacific to be seen in parts of the western United States. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

The moon passes between the sun and the earth during an annular solar eclipse as seen at a rooftop of Roppongi Hills complex in Tokyo May 21, 2012. The sun and moon will align over the earth in a rare astronomical event on Sunday – an annular eclipse that will dim the skies over parts of Asia and North America, briefly turning the sun into a blazing ring of fire. REUTERS/Toru Hanai (JAPAN – Tags: ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY)

An annular solar eclipse is seen in the sky over Yokohama near Tokyo Monday, May 21, 2012. The annular solar eclipse, in which the moon passes in front of the sun leaving only a golden ring around its edges, was visible to wide areas across the continent Monday morning. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

An annular solar eclipse is seen in the sky over Yokohama near Tokyo Monday, May 21, 2012. The annular solar eclipse, in which the moon passes in front of the sun leaving only a golden ring around its edges, was visible to wide areas across the continent Monday morning. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

A Total Lunar Eclipse

On the 16th of June 2011, there was a total lunar eclipse. Lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes behind the earth hence blocking the sun’s rays from shinning ontothe surface of the moon.

At 5.45 a.m., I went out to look at the eclipse. I looked at the place where the moon was supposed to be. The sky was very cloudy. Not a star was spotted.

However, I spotted a faint glow of light which was most probably the moon. I waited for the clouds to clear. It was only around 6.05 a.m. when I could really see the moon but of course, the eclipse was no longer so visible. Still, the moon was beautifully glowing like a golden ball in the cloudy sky.

The moon at 6:05 a.m. However the moon looks much beautiful in real life...

After waiting until 6.20am, I spotted a planet which I think is most probably either Saturn or Venus. Then I spotted a few stars after the clouds floated away. I went in around 6.40 am and looked on the internet for a picture of the eclipse at the peak when the moon turns reddish-orange.

Anyway there is going to be another total lunar eclipse this year on the 10th day of December and I really hope that I can see the moon when it turns reddish-orange. The last time that I saw the moon when it turns reddish-orange was when I was still a little girl.

Total Lunar Eclipse Coming!

On the 16th June, 2011, there will be a total lunar eclipse from 1:25 am. until 7:01 am. The National Space Agency (ANGKASA) and the National mosque will be organizing a Total Lunar Eclipse Observation Program at the Main Entrance of the National Mosque from 1.00 am. until 7.00 am. All are invited to observe the phenomena through a few telescopes that will be setup during the event! You can also bring your own telescope in this program.

Here is the program’s agenda:

1:00 a.m. – 7:00 a.m:    Total Lunar Eclipse Observation

                                           Jupiter, Mars and Venus Observation

                                           Eclipse Talk

                                           Quiz    

3:00 a.m. – 4:00 a.m:    Solat Sunat Gerhana Berjemaah          

7:00 a.m:                          Dismiss

Lunar Eclipse on a Cloudy Night

Last night, there was a partial lunar eclipse so my father, little brother and sister, my sister and I went out to search for the moon. We were all so excited but unfortunately, the sky was so cloudy. So, we cannot see the moon. The sky was just dark and not even a single star was spotted by us. We knew where the moon is as we look at the west side of the sky and we can see the light of the sun reflected by the moon behind the clouds. So we went sadly back in the house. A lunar eclipse happens when the earth blocks the light from the sun fro going to the earth. For more information on last night’s lunar eclipse… click here.

Yesterday’s Solar Eclipse

There was a solar eclipse yesterday. I live in Malaysia so I was hoping to see a partial solar eclipse. My father said that if you live in Malaysia, it is best to see it if you are in Langkawi. My little brother, Ahmad Ali keeps on asking my mother to go to Langkawi but we didn’t went there. We search for the sun to look at the solar eclipse. We wanted using a mirror to see the reflection of the Solar Eclipse on the wall as we can’t look at the Sun directly with naked eyes. click here to learn ways to look at the Sun safely. We used a bowl of water to see the solar eclipse before. Unfortunately, it was too cloudy. We can’t even see the Sun. But I hope you did see the Solar Eclipse.

Here’s some facts about solar eclipse:

• The solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks a part of or the whole the sun.

• A partial solar eclipse is when the moon covers only a part of the sun.
• An annular solar eclipse is when the moon blocks the whole sun and the sunlight is blocked so, it’ll be very dark.

Did you see the solar eclipse yesterday?

Here’s some pictures of partial and annular solar eclipse.  Note: The pictures are not the pictures of yesterday’s solar eclipse:

Partial Solar Eclipse

Annular Solar Eclipse