2011 Solar and Lunar Eclipse Skywatching Guide

by Geoff Gaherty, Starry Night Education

Date: 28 February 2011 Time: 11:46 AM ET

On Jan. 4, 2011, the moon passed in front of the sun in a partial solar eclipse - as seen from parts of Earth. Here, the joint Japanese-American Hinode satellite captured the same breathtaking event from space. The unique view created what's called an annular solar eclipse.
CREDIT: Hinode/XRT

There will be two total lunar eclipses and four partial solar eclipses in 2011.

January 4 Partial Solar Eclipse

This partial eclipse will be visible at sunrise in northwestern Europe and northwestern Africa, at midday in northeastern Africa and the Middle East, and at sunset in central Asia.

Times of maximum eclipse and magnitudes at major cities:

Berlin	08:27 UT	0.81
Cairo	08:31 UT	0.55
Helsinki	08:50 UT	0.85
Istanbul	08:37 UT	0.71
Kabul	09:52 UT	0.27
Karachi	09:46 UT	0.09
London	08:12 UT	0.75
Moscow	09:04 UT	0.81
Paris	08:09 UT	0.73
Vienna	08:25 UT	0.78

June 1 Partial Solar Eclipse

This partial eclipse is visible mainly in the high Arctic.

Times of maximum eclipse and magnitude at major cities:

Alert	21:36 UT	0.43
Hammerfest	21:30 UT	0.59
Harbin	20:01 UT	0.23
North Pole	21:21 UT	0.47
Reykjavík	22:01 UT	0.46
Sapporo	19:50 UT	0.08
St. John’s	22:39 UT	0.05
Trondheim	21:02 UT	0.05

June 15 Total Lunar Eclipse

This will be an almost central total lunar eclipse. The complete eclipse will be visible in most of Africa, the Middle East, and southern Asia, and parts of the eclipse will be visible throughout Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Maximum eclipse will be at 20:13 UT.

July 1 Partial Solar Eclipse

This partial eclipse is visible only in a small area of ocean near Antarctica, south of Africa

November 25 Partial Solar Eclipse

This partial eclipse will be visible from southern South Africa, Antarctica, and New Zealand.

Times of maximum eclipse and magnitude at major cities:

Cape Town	04:53 UT	0.11
Dunedin	07:41 UT	0.19
Hobart	07:49 UT	0.06
McMurdo	06:52 UT	0.70

December 10 Total Lunar Eclipse

This total eclipse is well placed for observers in eastern Asia, Australia, and northwestern North America. It is will be visible at moonrise in Africa and Europe, and at moonset in North America. Maximum eclipse will be at 14:32 UT.

Source: RASC Observer's Handbook 2011

This article was provided to SPACE.com by Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions.