The total solar eclipse of November 3, 1994. Click on image for full size (121K JPG) Courtesy of High Altitude Observatory

The last solar eclipse of this millennium occurred on August 11, 1999. Amateurs and professionals alike used this opportunity to witness one of the most brilliant natural phenomenon. This was a total solar eclipse, which means the Moon completely covered the Sun. Astronomers had a rare chance to see the Sun's corona, which isn't normally seen because of the intense light from the Sun.

The solar eclipse could be viewed in Europe, the Middle East and India. Hopefully, if you visisted one of these areas you protected your eyes. Always use one of the approved viewing devices.

This total solar eclipse provided a spectacular scene for all who saw it. When the Moon passed in front of the Sun, it blocked most of the light that would normally hit Earth in these areas. So, in the middle of the day, the Earth slowly darkened before the Sun appeared once more. The entire process took a couple hours, but the average viewer got a mere 2 minute glimpse before the shadow moved on. This special event served as more than just a spectacle. Experiments were carried out to study the corona, weather changes and even the effect on Earth's gravity.

In the eclipse photograph on the left, the dark center is the disk of the Moon as it passes between the Earth and the Sun. The beautiful white coronal streamers extending out from the Sun (seen on the left and right of the black lunar disk) are a commonly observed feature during eclipses. The streamers are regions where the solar magnetic field has trapped the coronal plasma; they are visible because the light from the photosphere is scattered off of electrons in the coronal plasma, lighting up the features with the largest amount of material. When there is no eclipse, these features cannot be seen because the blinding light of the photosphere overwhelms the scattered light from the corona.

The total solar eclipse of November 3, 1994. Click on image for full size (121K JPG) Courtesy of High Altitude Observatory

The last solar eclipse of this millennium occurred on August 11, 1999. Amateurs and scientists witnessed a truly awesome site. This was a total eclipse, which means the Moon completely covered the Sun. Astronomers had a rare chance to see the Sun's corona, which isn't normally seen because of the intense light from the Sun.

The solar eclipse could be viewed in Europe, the Middle East and India. If you visited one of these areas you should have protected your eyes. Make sure to never look at the Sun directly! Always use one of the approved viewing devices.

When the Moon passed in front of the Sun, it blocked most of the light that would normally hit Earth in these areas. So, in the middle of the day, the Earth slowly darkened before the Sun was revealed. The entire event took about 2 hours, but because the shadow moves, the average viewer had a 2 minute show. This special event served as more than just a spectacle. Experiments were carried out to study the corona, weather changes and even the effect on Earth's gravity.

In the eclipse photograph on the left, the dark center is the disk of the Moon as it passes between the Earth and the Sun. The beautiful white coronal streamers extending out from the Sun (seen on the left and right of the black lunar disk) are a commonly observed feature during eclipses. When there is no eclipse, these features cannot be seen because the blinding light of the photosphere overwhelms the scattered light from the corona.

The total solar eclipse of November 3, 1994. The dark ball at the center is the Moon as it passes between the Earth and the Sun. Click on image for full size (121K JPG) Courtesy of High Altitude Observatory

The last solar eclipse of this millennium was on August 11, 1999. Only people in Europe, the Middle East and India could see it. This was a total solar eclipse, which means that the Moon completely blocked out the Sun. You could see the corona during this!

When the Moon passed in front of the Sun, it covered it up! It became dark, even though it was the middle of the day. People saw the eclipse for about 2 minutes before the shadow moved. Scientists used this time to study Earth's gravity.

If you saw the eclipse, you should have protected your eyes. You should never look at the Sun directly.