Annular Eclipse of June 10, 2021, Observed from Quebec
July 02, 2021
Photographer: Philippe Moussette
Summary Author: Philippe Moussette & Cadan Cummings
The phenomenon seen here is an annular solar eclipse, as observed from Quebec City, Quebec on June 10, 2021. Solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes in front of the Sun and casts a shadow onto the Earth. Depending on the alignment of the planetary bodies and the distance from the Earth to the Moon, this event can be one of three types- total, partial, or annular. In the case of the eclipse on June 10, 2021, the new Moon was too far away from the Earth to completely cover the Sun, therefore resulting in an annular eclipse. The Moon’s orientation and distance in relation to the Earth is continually changing due to its elliptical orbit. This orbit eccentricity and wobble is the reason solar eclipses do not occur every month.
The top image shows a timelapse mosaic of the Moon passing in front of the solar disk. The partial shadow cast by the Moon’s disk is called the antumbra during an annular eclipse. Depending on your location’s latitude and longitude, the Moon’s coverage of the Sun varies with the point of maximum cover called the path of annularity. In the second picture, the annular eclipse is beginning shortly after sunrise over the St. Lawrence River.