Partial Solar Eclipse

Partial Solar Eclipse of 26 February 1998
photo by Robert Reppert

The partial solar eclipse is shown at its mid-point, which was 1:20 PM on February 26, 1998.  For observers at Moravian College, the eclipse began at 12:30 AM and ended at 2:15 PM.  As shown here, the Moon is covering about 10 percent of the sun.   Notice limb darkening along the edges of the sun, but notice its absence along the edge of the Moon's shadow.  For an explanation of limb darkening, see the sunspot photograph.  The blue color results from the aluminized Mylar filter that was used to reduce the intensity of the light.  This 1/50 second exposure was made on ASA 400 Kodak color print film using the 6-inch reflecting telescope.