Partial eclipse of the sun
Parts of central Africa are plunged into darkness, while northern America and parts of Europe witness a partial eclipse of the sun, as a “hybrid eclipse” sweeps across the globe.
The eclipse was described by Nasa as the “most interesting” of the year, and was keenly watched as it became visible in different parts of the world.
It started as a partial (or annular) eclipse over the east of the US, and became a total eclipse over the Atlantic Ocean and then passed through central Africa later in the afternoon. It was called a “hybrid” because it switched between a total and partial eclipse, depending on where it was seen from.
The eclipse was most dramatic over the Atlantic Ocean, where total darkness lasted around a minute, said Nasa.
Northern Kenya witnessed total darkness for about 10 seconds (see video above).
Photo: Rendile tribe members are silhoutted after a rare solar eclipse in the Sibiloi national Park in Turkana, Kenya
The Astronomical Observatory of Lisbon, part of the centre for astronomy and astrophysics of the University of Lisbon, calculated that the moon would cover between 25 to 27 per cent of the sun in the Azores and over Madeira island.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth. For a total eclipse, the moon needs to be at the right distance to completely block out the sun, while in an annular eclipse the new moon’s apparent diameter is smaller than the view of the sun. This allows a ring of sunlight to shine around the black circle of the moon.
Sunday’s eclipse was the last of the year, and the next is expected on 15 April, 2014. But the next hybrid eclipse isn’t for another 18 years.
Astronomers warned viewers not to look directly at the Sun without taking safety precautions.
Video below: Hybrid eclipse filmed from Lagos, Nigeria, where some people gathered on a beach to witness the event