WWW.ASTRONOMY.COM 33Epena. And although some people
may choose to view the event
from this country, the Moon’s
antumbra doesn’t stay in
the Republic of Congo for
long. The entire center
line path through the
country is only slightly
more than 12.5 miles
(20 k ilometers).
The annular
eclipse moves next
into Congo, where it
begins just south of
the town of Buburu
at 4h47m46s UT.
After a 630-mile-
long (1,015 km) trip
to the east-northeast,
it exits the country
at 4h50m04s UT, mov-
ing into the Central
African Republic just
southwest of Obo. The
length of the path along the
center line in this country is
about 75 miles (120 km).
The center line of the Moon’s
antumbra leaves the Central
African Republic and first touches
the next country, South Sudan, at
4h49m50s UT, some 12 miles (20 km) west
of the city of Tambura. The roughly 10,000
residents there will experience 1 minute
4 seconds of annularity.
At the border of Ethiopia, the annular
eclipse starts at 4h54m24s UT. This country
boasts the first truly large city near the path
of annularity: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capi-
tal and home to some 3.4 million people, lies
only 155 miles (250 km) outside the path.
Those who remain in the city — and use
proper eye protection — will see the Moon
cover about 92 percent of the Sun.
As the Moon’s antumbra begins its trek
through Ethiopia, a small triangular section
of the southeastern part of the Sudan south
of the village of El Fil also will experience
the annular eclipse. Anyone at the southern-
most point of Sudan’s border will witness
54 seconds of annularity with the Sun 20°
above the horizon.
At the border of Ethiopia and Eritrea,
annularity lasts for 1 minute 7 seconds. The
annular phase ends at the coastline of the
Red Sea at 5h04m42s UT.Traversing the Middle East
While over that body of water, the Moon’s
antumbra covers Jabal Zuqar, the largest of
the Hanish Islands, which are part of Yemen.
Annularity at the northern edge of the island
lasts 1 minute 2 seconds, while the southern
end lies at the edge of the annular path. An
observer there — and anywhere along either
edge of annularity — will see a lengthy dis-
play of Baily’s beads.
The partial phase of the eclipse begins in
Yemen at the Red Sea coast at 3h54m51s UT,
22 miles (35 km) southwest of Bayt al-Faqīh.Photographers often
combine individual
images of an eclipse
into a mosaic. BEN COOPERINSET: This image of the
eclipsed Sun setting was
taken at 8:32 P.M. CDT
near Tahoka, Texas — one
of the last locations along
the center line during the
annular eclipse May 20,- BOB G. THOMAS
MAP: The Moon’s
antumbra first touches
Earth in the Republic of
Congo. It vanishes at
sunset southeast of
Guam. The total path
length of this eclipse is
9,058 miles (14,578 km).
This map shows the
center line in orange and
the progression of the
antumbra in 10-minute
increments. MICHAEL ZEILER