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Published on Nov 3, 2013

The CELESTIAL Convergence | http://thecelestialconvergence.blogsp...

November 03, 2013 - SPACE - A rare "hybrid" solar eclipse, hailed as "the most interesting eclipse of the year", has swept across parts of Africa, America and Europe on Sunday.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Sun and the Earth casting a shadow on the Earth. It's a rare event because this is a hybrid type. During a total eclipse, the Moon fully covers the Sun, whereas in the annular variety the Moon doesn't totally block out the Sun, leaving a halo of sunlight visible around the Moon.

A hybrid eclipse usually starts and ends as an annular event, although it appears as a total eclipse in the middle.

According to NASA, this Sunday's eclipse is even more unique as it starts annular and ends as a total eclipse.

Thanks to the round shape of the Earth, lucky enthusiasts in West Africa have a chance to observe a total eclipse, while others in Europe and in the US will only see the sun partly obscured.

Doctors warn, however, that during the eclipse viewers shouldn't look directly at the sun, unless they use special welder's glasses or are watching the phenomenon with a pinhole camera. Plain sunglasses won't protect the naked eye well enough.

The eclipse begins about 1,000 kilometers east of Jacksonville, Florida, with an annular eclipse visible for four seconds at sunrise.

The greatest part of the eclipse is expected to take place over the Atlantic Ocean, about 330 kilometers southwest of Liberia, at 12:47 GMT, lasting one minute and 39 seconds.

A state on the west coast of Central Africa, Gabon, will get peak viewing of the total eclipse sweeping over a path some 60 kilometers wide. At its peak, the sun will be blocked out for about one minute.

"The eclipse will then continue across Africa through the Congo until it passes through northern Uganda and northern Kenya, ending in southern Ethiopia and Somalia," the International Astronomical Union said. In northern Kenya, the eclipse will last about 10 seconds.

Depending on the weather, partial phases of the eclipse will be visible in southern Europe, including parts of Spain, Italy and Greece.

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Rare solar eclipse in America, Europe and Africa

Watch footage of the eclipse filmed in Washington DC, Nairobi and Lagos.

A rare solar eclipse allowing a view of the Sun that is totally or partially blocked by the Moon has taken place.

It was first visible in the southern United States, before sweeping east across the Atlantic Ocean and the African continent.

The US space agency, Nasa, said the greatest total eclipse occurred over the Atlantic Ocean.

One of the best views was in northern Kenya, where tour companies organised trips to view a total blackout.

Local myths there attribute the event to the Moon eating the Sun.

Men and women from the Turkana tribe take part in a ceremony in the Sibiloi national Park in the Turkana region

Men and women from the Turkana tribe in Kenya took part in a ceremony ahead of the eclipse

Partial views were available in eastern North America and southern Europe.

Halo

This solar eclipse was a rare occurrence in that it was "hybrid" - switching between an annular and total eclipse.

In a total eclipse, the Moon completely covers the sun, while an annular eclipse occurs when the Moon is at its farthest from the Earth and does not block out the Sun completely, leaving a halo of sunlight still visible around the Moon.

The eclipse event began about 1,000km (620 miles) east of Jacksonville, Florida with an annular eclipse visible for four seconds at sunrise.