A total solar eclipse began sweeping across Norway on Wednesday, offering the first glimpses of a phenomenon that occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and completely blocks sunlight along a narrow strip of the planet's surface.
The event was not visible from Brazil, not even partially.
For those in Brazil, one way to follow the eclipse's progress was through a livestream from the National Observatory, which began at midday Brasilia time and tracked the eclipse along its path.
At 2:01pm Brasilia time, the first moments of totality also began over the Pronchishchev Peninsula in Russia, where totality was expected to start at around 11:58pm local time, according to the astronomical tracking site Time and Date.
Eclipse Timeline
The total solar eclipse began at 12:34pm Brasilia time, marking the first point on Earth where the partial phase became visible. Totality began at 1:58pm, with the eclipse reaching its maximum point at 2:46pm.
- Start of partial eclipse: 12:34pm
- Start of totality: 1:58pm
- Maximum eclipse: 2:46pm
- End of totality: 3:34pm
- End of partial eclipse: 4:57pm
After that, the Moon's shadow continued its path until the phenomenon ended completely at 4:57pm. Times vary depending on the observer's location, since the Moon's shadow moves across the Earth's surface throughout the event.
What Is a Total Solar Eclipse?
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, casting its shadow over part of the planet.
During a total eclipse, observers within a specific band of the Earth's surface see the Moon completely cover the Sun's disk. For a few minutes, the sky darkens and the corona, the outermost region of the Sun's atmosphere, becomes visible.
Those outside the band of totality, but still within the area reached by the Moon's partial shadow, see a partial eclipse instead.
