There will be a total of four eclipses during the year 2010. The 2010 eclipses include two solar eclipses and two lunar eclipses. The only total solar eclipse of 2010 will be in June in the south Pacific.
Lunar and Solar Eclipse Dates
The solar and lunar eclipse dates for 2010 are:
- January 15, 2010; Annular solar eclipse
- June 26, 2010; Partial lunar eclipse
- July 11, 2010; Total solar eclipse
- December 21, 2010; Total lunar eclipse
The eclipse dates and times reported here are in universal time (UT), also called Greenwich mean time. Here is a table for converting UT to North American time zones and a similar table for worldwide time zones.
January 2010 Annular Solar Eclipse
The solar eclipse on January 15, 2010 will be an annular eclipse with greatest eclipse at 7:07 UT. An annular eclipse occurs when the Moon is farther from Earth than normal, so that the Moon appears smaller than the Sun in the sky. During the central portion of the eclipse, a ring, or annulus, of uneclipsed Sun surrounds the Moon. Observers just outside the path of the annular eclipse will see a partial solar eclipse.
This annular solar eclipse will be visible in southeast Asia, extreme southern India, Eastern Africa, and much of the Indian Ocean. A partial solar eclipse will be visible from southern Asia and Africa.
July 2010 Total Solar Eclipse
The only total solar eclipse of 2010 will occur on July 11, 2010, with greatest eclipse at 19:34 UT. The path of totality for this eclipse will cross the south Pacific, so eclipse watchers wanting to catch this total solar eclipse will want to take a south Pacific eclipse cruise. Outside the path of totality, a partial solar eclipse will be visible from most of the south Pacific and southern South America.
There are eclipse cruise tours available, specifically for this total solar eclipse, with all the normal luxury found on cruise ships. Amateur astronomers wanting to combine a luxury vacation with their astronomical interests can enjoy a south Pacific cruise to observe this total solar eclipse. It will also be possible to observe this total eclipse from a few south Pacific islands and extreme southern Chili and Argentina.
Many people fear that watching solar eclipses is unsafe and will blind observers. Observing the unfiltered Sun directly during a solar eclipse or at any other time can blind the observer, but observing projected images of the Sun during solar eclipses is also completely safe. Observing the Sun, during an eclipse or any other time, with a good quality solar filter is also safe.
Further Reading
The Astronomical Almanac published annually by the US Naval Observatory gives details for both solar and lunar eclipses each year.
Paul A. Heckert - I have a Ph.D. in astrophysics, over 30 years experience teaching physics and astronomy, and over 60 published research articles.
