Sky watchers in parts of the southern hemisphere today enjoyed the first partial eclipse of the year.
The April 30 partial solar eclipse, one of two to occur in 2022, swept across parts of South America, Antarctica, and the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The solar eclipse began at 2:45 p.m. EDT (1845 GMT) in the far southeastern Pacific, near the coast of Antarctica. It lasted just under four hours and ended at 6:37 p.m. EDT (22:37 GMT) over the southern Atlantic Ocean, according to TimeandDate.com, though for many observers, the sun set while it was still partially eclipsed.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun. Today’s celestial event was a partial eclipse, meaning the moon obscured only part of the sun, depending on the viewer’s location. The maximum eclipse occurred today at 4:41 pm EDT (20:41 GMT), when the moon blocked about 64% of the solar disk from viewers just south of the southern tip of South America.
Related: Incredible images of solar eclipses from around the world
Unfortunately for sky watchers, today’s eclipse took place over largely unpopulated regions in the southeastern Pacific Ocean and Antarctica, as well as some South American countries, including Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Peru.
However, viewers in the US and other areas outside the eclipse path were able to watch the event live, thanks to online broadcasts from Timeanddate.com, which offered views from Santiago, Chile and parts of Argentina, and the India-based YouTube channel Gyaan. ki gareebi Live, which showed views from Cerro Shenolsh in the Tierra del Fuego province of Argentina.
Today’s eclipse also coincided with the second new moon of the month, known as the Black Moon. A new moon usually occurs only once a month, when the side facing Earth is completely covered in shadow. However, April started with a new moon on April 1 and ended with a second one today.
Related: The 8 most famous solar eclipses in history
The next partial solar eclipse will take place on October 25, when the moon will block out part of the sun from viewers in Europe, western Asia, and northeastern Africa. After that, we won’t see another solar eclipse until 2023. However, a total lunar eclipse is right around the corner, starting on May 15.
If you want to prepare for the next eclipse and want to learn how to photograph a solar eclipse, check out our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography to make sure you’re ready.
Publisher’s note: If you took an amazing photo of a solar eclipse and want to share it with Space.com readers, send your photos, comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
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