Chapter 5. The Sun

Topics covered

The view of our Sun is discussed, including the following highlights:

Current solar image from

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Chapter 5 updates

Table 5.1. Upcoming Total and Annular Solar Eclipses: 2010-2020

*Date* *(U.T.)*	*Type of eclipse*	*Zone of maximum eclipse*
2010 January 15	Annular	Africa, Asia
2010 July 11	Total	Pacific, S. America
2012 May 20	Annular	Asia, USA
2012 November 13	Total	Australia, Pacific
2013 May 10	Annular	Australia, Pacific
2013 November 3	Total	Africa
2014 April 29	Annular	Antarctica
2015 March 20	Total	N. Atlantic, Iceland
2016 Mar 09	Total	Asia, Australia, Pacific
2016 Sep 01	Annular	Africa, Indian Ocean
2017 Feb 26	Annular	S. America, Atlantic, Africa, Antarctica
2017 Aug 21	Total	N. America, northern S. America
2019 Jul 02	Total	Pacific, S. America
2019 Dec 26	Annular	Asia, Australia
2020 Jun 21	Annular	Africa, Europe, Asia
2020 Dec 14	Total	Pacific, S. America, Antarctica

Recommended reading

Books

Eclipse!; Harrington, P.; John Wiley & Sons, 1997; ISBN 0471127957.
Here Comes the Sun (test report on solar filters); Astronomy magazine, April 2001.
The Sunny Side of Stargazing; Astronomy magazine, January 2000.

Web sites

NASA Eclipse Home Page
- Words of wisdom from NASA's chief eclipsophile, Fred Espenak.
U.S. Naval Observatory Data Services
- Customizable web site that will calculate times of sunrise and sunset, as well as positional data for other solar system members and bright stars.

Touring the Universe Through Binoculars