Ring of Fire Eclipse Graces African Skies

Photo Yahoo

A spectacular “ring of fire” could be seen on the African sky as the sun was almost – but not completely – eclipsed.

An annular eclipse happens when the moon is farther away from the Earth than during a total eclipse.

The best views were seen in Tanzania, where the event lasted about 3 minutes.

Photo Yahoo

The “ring of fire” eclipse could also be viewed in parts of Gabon, Congo-Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, and the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion.

The moon does not move in a perfect circle around the earth – instead, its orbit is slightly elliptical. That means the distance of the moon varies between around 225,000-252,000 miles.

When the moon is farther away from the earth, it appears smaller – and does not totally cover the sun’s disc during a total eclipse. The result is also known as a “ring of fire” eclipse.

The next eclipse is due to take place in February 2017, and can be seen from parts of South America and Africa.

James J. Williams

James is a professor in Science. His writing skills brought him to BelleNews. He enjoys writing articles for the Science and Technology category. James often finds himself reading about the latest gadgets as the topic is very appealing to him. He likes reading and listening to classical music.