If you were in the southern tip of South America on December 14, 2020, you were in for a special treat – the only solar eclipse of 2020. But thanks to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), we are in for a treat too.
NOAA’s satellite captured the eclipse as it moved across the planet. In the animated gif above, you can see the moon’s shadow sweep across the African continent, blocking out the sun.
NOAA explained:
“People in areas where the outer part of the moon’s shadow falls, called the penumbra, see a partial solar eclipse. For today’s eclipse, that included much of South America as well as a small portion of Africa’s southwest coast. If the sun were a little bit farther from the Earth, there would be what’s called an annular solar eclipse, in which the moon appears to not block the entire sun and a ring of the sun is still visible. An annular solar eclipse was visible in parts of Africa and Asia in June.”
