http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_July_22,_2009
This article has been edited for space. I only chose to include my favorite parts. Instances of omitted text are indicated by ellipses...
The solar eclipse that will take place on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 will be a total eclipse of the Sun. It will be the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, lasting at greatest eclipse 6 minutes, 39 seconds, it has sparked tourist interest in eastern China and India....
A partial eclipse will be seen from the much broader path of the Moon's penumbra, including most of South East Asia (all of India and China) and north-eastern Oceania...
This solar eclipse is the longest total solar eclipse that will occur in the twenty-first century, and will not be surpassed in duration until June 13, 2132. Totality will last for up to 6 minutes and 39 seconds, with the maximum eclipse occurring in the ocean at 02:35:21 UTC...
Urban legend: According to majority of scientists earthquakes are not caused by the moon or any event such as this, no matter how long the eclipse lasts or how significant it is from other eclipses. The moon's gravitational pull is only known to cause tides. In this instance also there is a high probability for a mild change in ocean tides during the eclipse which should not be mistaken for a Tsunami.However, there has been an unendorsed earthquake prediction by a software developer who specializes in Computer Game physics and has posted an article on a blog post. His statement is based on an existing theory by James O. Berkland originally posted on National Geographic. According to this speculation, the combined gravitational pull of sun and moon during the long total eclipse will cause a undersea tectonic uplift in south of Japan resulting a major tsunami. However, the author states that this is only a hypothesis and acknowledges that he is not qualified to make a formal prediction. The news is swiftly gaining attention worldwide as an electronic chain letter. Mainstream scientists and media have already rejected this hypothesis stating that there is no credible evidence to prove any correlation between solar eclipses and earthquakes.
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Let's Watch!!!
ReplyDeleteanother source- apparently the time that was listed on wikipedia was universal time (???) not the time in the time zone they were talking about.
ReplyDeleteThe partial eclipse, which will block 80 percent of the sun (Seoul?), will last two-and-a-half hours from 9.34 a.m., said the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute on Thursday, according to Chosun.com.
"More of the sun will be blocked the further south it is observed, with 93 percent cloaked from Seogwipo, Jeju Island. Some parts of the Asia Pacific regions will get a full eclipse," the institute said.
I'm pretty sure I was, and still am, in a desperate state of panic due to the eclipse. It frightened the bejeebies out of me. Whew! I'm glad it's over.
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