Solar Eclipse Pictures: See Last Night's Midnight Madness

Moon Moves In

Photograph courtesy B. Art Braafhart

Seen from Finnish Lapland, last night's partial solar eclipse occurred during the first appearance of 2011's midnight sun in the area, according to photographer B. Art Braafhart. "Almost perfect circumstances with some clouds," Braafhart said in an email.

Solar eclipses occur when Earth, the moon, and the sun are aligned so that—as seen from Earth—the moon appears to cover all or part of the sun's disk.

(Also see "Ancient Eclipse Found in The Odyssey, Scientists Say.")

Published June 2, 2011

Solar "Smile"

Photograph courtesy B. Art Braafhart

The sun "smiles" over northern Finland last night during a midnight solar eclipse.

Partial solar eclipses, such as last night's, which is the second of 2011—happen when Earth crosses only through the faint outer part of the moon's shadow, known as the penumbra. (See pictures of January's partial solar eclipse.)

By contrast, during a total eclipse the sun is completely blotted out by the moon as its dark, central shadow, called the umbra, falls in a very narrow strip along Earth's surface.

(See "ring of fire" solar eclipse pictures.)

Published June 2, 2011

Horizon Event

Photograph from ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images

The partially eclipsed sun swings low over misty mountains in Changchun, China, early this morning.

The first hint of the moon's silhouette taking a bite out of the sun's disk was seen from northern China and northern Japan between 4 and 5 a.m., local time, on Thursday. Shortly thereafter, about 60 percent of the sun went dark over Siberia, Russia.

Moving east to west, the solar eclipse's pathway crossed the date line, so far-northern European observers saw the eclipse around 11:30 p.m., local time, on Wednesday.

Published June 2, 2011

Hot Show

Photograph from ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images

The moon comes between Earth and the sun—already partly obscured by the horizon—over Changchun, China, Thursday morning.

The next solar eclipse, on July 1, will be even more obscure than tonight's—visible from only a small patch of ocean off Antarctica, said Williams College eclipse expert Jay Pasachoff, whose work has been funded by the National Geographic Society's Committee for Research and Exploration. (The Society owns National Geographic News.)

"No airplane flights seem to be passing through that region at the proper time," he said. "So it is probable that no human will see it."

Published June 2, 2011