Sky watchers in parts of the Southern Hemisphere today received the first partial eclipse of the year.
The partial solar eclipse on April 30, one of two that occurred in 2022, covered parts of South America, Antarctica and the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The solar eclipse began at 2:45 p.m. EDT (1845 GMT) in the far southeastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Antarctica. It lasted just under four hours, ending at 18:37 EDT (2237 GMT) over the South Atlantic, according to TimeandDate.com, although for many observers the sun was setting while it was still partially eclipsed.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. Today’s celestial event was a partial eclipse, which means that only part of the sun was hidden from the moon, depending on the location of the viewer. The maximum eclipse occurred at 16:41 EDT (2041 GMT) today, when the moon blocked about 64% of the solar disk for viewers south of the southern tip of South America.
Related: Amazing photos of solar eclipses from around the world
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The partial solar eclipse on April 30, 2022, as seen by Vina del Mar, Chile by eclipse scientist Jay Pasachoff and his research team .. (Image credit: Jay Pasachoff) Image 2 of 6
The partial solar eclipse on April 30, 2022, as seen by Vina del Mar, Chile by eclipse scientist Jay Pasachoff and his research team .. (Image credit: Jay Pasachoff) Image 3 of 6
The partial solar eclipse on April 30, 2022, as seen by Vina del Mar, Chile by eclipse scientist Jay Pasachoff and his research team .. (Image credit: Jay Pasachoff) Image 4 of 6
The partial solar eclipse on April 30, 2022, as seen by Vina del Mar, Chile by eclipse scientist Jay Pasachoff and his research team .. (Image credit: Jay Pasachoff) Image 5 of 6
The partial solar eclipse on April 30, 2022, as seen by Vina del Mar, Chile by eclipse scientist Jay Pasachoff and his research team .. (Image credit: Jay Pasachoff) Image 6 of 6
View of the early stages of a partial solar eclipse on April 30, 2022, as seen from El Colorado outside Santiago, Chile. (Image Credit: TimeandDate.com)
Unfortunately for observers in the sky, today’s eclipse occurred over largely uninhabited regions in the Southeast Pacific and Antarctica, as well as over some South American countries, including Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia and Peru.
However, viewers in the United States and other areas beyond the eclipse could watch the event live, thanks to online broadcasts from Timeanddate.com, which offered views from Santiago, Chile and parts of Argentina, and India-based YouTube channel Gyaan ki gareebi Live, which shows views of Cerro Chenols in the province of Tierra del Fuego in Argentina.
Today’s eclipse also coincided with the second new moon of the month, known as the Black Moon. Usually the new moon occurs only once a month, when the country facing the Earth is completely covered with shadow. However, April began with a new moon on April 1 and ended with a second today.
Related: The 8 most famous solar eclipses in history
The next partial solar eclipse will take place on October 25, when the moon will block some of the sun for viewers in Europe, West Asia and Northeast Africa. After that, we will not see another solar eclipse until 2023. However, a total lunar eclipse is just around the corner, which begins on May 15.
If you want to prepare for the next eclipse and want to learn how to shoot a solar eclipse, check out our best astrophotography cameras and the best astrophotography lenses to make sure you’re ready.
Editor’s note: If you’ve taken an amazing photo of a solar eclipse and want to share it with Space.com readers, send your photos, comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
Follow Samantha Matthewson @ Sam_Ashley13. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and Facebook.
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