CELESTIAL CONVERGENCE: Signs In The Heavens - Freak Supermoon, Total Eclipse Of The Sun And A Staggeringly Close Asteroid Flyby Set To Happen Within 24 HOURS! [VIDEOS]

Some conspiracy theorists claim the three events in the same day are a warning. GETTY

March 7, 2016 - SPACE - Conspiracy theorists are stocking up on food supplies amid fears the world could end in just TWO days when a total eclipse of the sun, super full moon and staggeringly close asteroid pass of earth are set to happen within 24 hours.

On March 8 asteroid TX 68, a 30-metre long lump of space rock, is due to whistle past Earth as close as 19,000 miles away.

But doom mongers are not convinced it will miss us with fears we won't be able to see it because it will be obscured by the sun.

The looming event has sent online doomsday predictors into a frenzy, particularly as NASA admits it is uncertain of the orbital path and has given estimates as close as 19,000 miles away to as far as 11 million miles.

The US space agency has also changed the DAY of the pass with the initial date being given as yesterday, March 5.

Now NASA says it will be on Tuesday, March 8.

The uncertainty over the pass coupled with the fact some online doom mongers were predicting an asteroid would smash into earth in March 2016 several months ago, has fuelled the latest fears.

Some self-styled internet prophets released videos several months ago warning an asteroid, or even a mythological rogue planet called Nibiru or Planet X, would strike Earth in March 2016, and could spell the end of the word.

Express.co.uk found several YouTube videos released six months or more ago, before there was any widespread talk of asteroid TX68's cosmic close shave.

A NASA animation showing how the total eclipse will unfold. NASA

It must be noted that videos also appear to exist for a number of other months and appear to be update when one date comes and goes without incident.

But if all this was not enough to pedal a doomsday prophecy, the conspiracists have been given more on a plate.

March 8 will also see a total solar eclipse in some parts of the globe, and a massive super full moon - the first of 2016.

In a video entitled 'Armageddon March 8th???', YouTube filmmaker Mike Morales questioned how NASA could say for sure it would not strike the planet, saying they didn't have the evidence to back it up either way.

Speaking of the total eclipse and super moon, he said: "We also have asteroid 2013 TX68 coming the exact same day and what they are saying is we won't be able to see or track it with a telescope because it is coming from the sun's side.

"This is a big heads up. is it Armageddon, who knows, but no mainstream news is warning us, NASA is not warning, so I am going to get ready like they are. Make sure you have got plenty of food supplies and water.

"It could definitely come inside our satellite belt. This thing could take out our satellites and could our gravitation pull or the moon's gravitational pull move it in?"


WATCH: Path of March 2016 Total Solar Eclipse (Animation)

Regular asteroid and earthquake watcher, YouTube channel BPEarthWatch released a video with other concerns.

The video said: "We got a great amount of uncertainty.

"They now know it is moving slower or orbiting for slightly longer. It has a condition code of seven to nine and nine is the highest code of uncertainty.

"There is a cluster of debris coming with it we can't see because it is between Earth and the sun.

"They cannot see the object, are not picking it up on radar and have not given any new data.

"This is definitely one to pay attention to, head up and be safe."

YouTube channel Nemesis Maturity posted a video about the events this month.

Screen grab from Nemesis Maturity video showing the celestial line up. NEMESISMATURITY YouTube

Although it did not predict the end of the world would result, it warned of increased tidal activity and introduced the obligatory conspiracists's code into the mix.

The short film said TX68 would pass on March 8 - the 68th day of 2016.

It also pointed out we are due for 68 total solar eclipses this century.


WATCH: Supermoon Coincides With Total Solar Eclipses And Asteroid Flyby.

Video subtitles said: "The super moon will line up with the sun to create a larger than average effect on earth's oceans."

The odd astronomical trio has seen the religious doommongers enter the ring as well with their own prophecies.

So what is the truth?

Well NASA said it is certain it will not hit us or pose any danger this year, although this is a very slim outside chance of a strike next year.

Professor Gary Shogren, a former pastor who studied the New Testament at Aberdeen University, said: "You’ll never go broke predicting the apocalypse". - Express.

GLOBAL COASTAL EVENT: French Coast Hit With The Biggest "Tide Of The Century"!

© AFP 2015/ PHILIPPE HUGUEN

March 21, 2015 - FRANCE - After the excitement of Friday's solar eclipse, thousands of visitors have flocked to France's coastal areas for the chance to see the biggest tide in 18 years.

Thousands of visitors made their way to coastal areas in Brittany and Normandy on Saturday morning to catch this year's spring tides, which are billed to rise as high as 14 meters above their usual level following Friday's solar eclipse, which saw the Earth, moon, and sun in alignment.

Referred to as the 'tide of the century' in the French press, the phenomenon actually takes place every 18 years; this week's is the first of this millennium, and follows exceptionally high tides seen on March 10, 1997.

The picturesque 11th century fortified island of Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy, which is usually buffeted by high tides, was a popular destination, with ten thousand people going to see the UNESCO-listed monastery surrounded by rising water before the tide receded from sight, exposing areas of beach and rock which will next be visible in 2033.

On Friday the tidal coefficient, which ranges from 20 to 120 and measures the height between consecutive high and low tides, was recorded at 118 on Brittany's Atlantic Coast, and reached 119 on Saturday, the joint highest ever recorded. The super high tide is also expected to affect coastlines along the North Sea, the English Channel and to a lesser extent, the Mediterranean. - Sputnik.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Celestial Convergence - Supermoon Solar Eclipse Thrills Sky Gazers!

March 20, 2015 - SPACE -  People across Europe and other parts of the world gazed with awe skywards on Friday to see a rare type of solar eclipse, which has coincided with other celestial events such as the spring equinox and a supermoon.

Only those in parts of the Artic and the north of Europe were lucky enough to witness the eclipse in its totality. But millions were able to see a partial eclipse in other parts of Europe, North Africa and West Asia.

The rare coincidence of the solar eclipse and the vernal equinox is not expected to occur until the year 2034. The supermoon is a phenomenon, which sees the moon’s position closer to Earth than usual.

However, some viewers of the rare celestial show were disappointed as clouds obscured the sky over Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands.

"It was overcast, there was rain and wind. You could see nothing. It was a disappointment for everybody," Gabor Lantos, a Hungarian tourist, told Reuters. "Some tourists were so irritated, they argued with tour operators, demanding their money back."

Others were more thrilled despite the cloudy weather.

"It was worth coming here from Australia, probably not as good as the 2012 eclipse we saw in Cairns, but still worth coming," said Australian visitor Michael Tonks. Street lights came on automatically as the sky blackened.

Astronomers and onlookers also gathered on Norway’s Svalbard archipelago to watch the eclipse: the sun became almost completely obscured there. "We couldn't ask for more. It was stunning," Ronny Brunvoll, head of the Visit Svalbard organization told Reuters.


WATCH: Supermoon solar eclipse thrills sky gazers.

The event gave scientists a rare opportunity to carry out tests of the solar atmosphere, the corona, the temperature of which is about twice as hot as the sun.

People started booking hotel accommodation at the archipelago in 2008 to see the supermoon eclipse, forcing some tourists to stay in tents despite running the risk of a surprise rendezvous with polar bears.

In places like London and Paris, observers didn’t get much of a sense of darkness, and Patrick Rocher of the IMCCE astronomy institute in France explained that it’s because the sun “still brightens up (the sky) a lot even at 20 percent,” as cited by AFP.

What’s more, clouds covered a big part of Northern Europe, so only a few spots experienced the event in full, one being Berlin.

In Moscow, where the weather was clear, people took to the streets to watch the partial eclipse and could later see the footage of the full eclipse on a big screen in the city center, as well as in the metro by connecting to the system’s WiFi. - RT.

OMEN, SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS & INFRASTRUCTURE COLLAPSE: Upcoming "SUPERMOON" Eclipse Will Dazzle Britain - But Will Hit Europe's Power Grids Hard, Could Create The Biggest Blackout Since 1999!

The moment of totality during the solar eclipse (Reuters / Howard Burditt)

March 9, 2015 - EUROPE - This spring should reward plenty of star-gazers, especially in Britain, which will experience its deepest solar eclipse in 15 years, as well as a Supermoon, all at the same time – an event that will sink the island into twilight for two whole hours.

The Supermoon eclipse, as the phenomenon is known, is an astronomical alignment where the Moon is sent on a trajectory between the Sun and the Earth, depriving us of light. The event will occur on March 20 at around 8:40GMT.

Scotland will have it best though, with a whopping 98 percent of the sky darkened, compared to about 85 percent for the south of England. For best results the Scottish need to look up starting 9:36 am.

Other areas in Britain will only get around 30 percent.

Similar events took place in 2006, 2008 and 2011, but neither of them can touch the upcoming Supermoon eclipse, except an event that occurred in 1999.

We’ll have to wait three years for the next one in 2018. However, only 2026 will present us with a deep solar eclipse once again. As for the magnitude, it won’t be until 2090 that we get to see anything like the 1999 and upcoming March 20 events.

Whenever particularly striking displays take place, it is because the Moon is close to the Earth. According to Dr Edward Bloomer of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, the March eclipse will see the Moon closer to us than it has been in more than 18 years.

“The Earth is orbiting around the Sun and sometimes is slightly closer and sometimes further away, and the Earth is also wobbling around on its axis,” the Telegraph cites him as saying.

“Likewise the orbit of the Moon around the Earth is elliptical and slightly tilted so it’s rare for the Sun, Earth and Moon to actually line up,” he also said. And when the Moon’s orbit is as close as possible to the Earth’s, we have a total eclipse, Bloomer explains.

That’s when the Supermoon appears, and that is what will take place in Britain in a few days, as our satellite appears to us as an enormous black, glowing orb, shortly before March 20.

Reuters / Michaela Rehle

The only thing the Brits have to worry about is weather. It can potentially ruin their viewing experience, with the possibility of clouds and rain.

But if skies are clear, another treat for everyone will be the moon itself. With such proximity and lighting conditions, a pair of binoculars will give the viewer surface details that could never be seen with the naked eye.

However, it’s not just the fun factor of such events that is attracting attention. The Brits are afraid it might cause power grid failures as well. The National Grid says around 50 percent of power will be lost throughout the morning hours later in March.

But Britain will remain relatively unscathed, compared to its European neighbors, where up to 10 percent of energy is generated sustainably, meaning they depend more on the sun. According to the UK’s energy body, only 1.5 percent of power there is generated by solar panels. And since people will be going out in droves to watch the spectacle, energy consumption should drop almost at the same time the shortages will strike, it says.

The European Network Transmission System Operators for Electricity says, according to the Independent, “with the increase of installed photovoltaic energy generation, the risk of an incident could be serious without appropriate countermeasures.”

"Within 30 minutes the solar power production would decrease from 17.5 gigawatts to 6.2GW and then increase again up to 24.6GW. This means that within 30 minutes the system will have to adapt to a load change of -10GW to +15GW," said Patrick Graichen, executive director of the Berlin-based think-tank on renewable energy Agora Energiewende, as cited by the Financial Times.

While the world is only hearing about the Supermoon eclipse now, energy companies have been preparing for the event for months in advance, some in Europe setting up contingency measures for extracting energy from other power stations.

Experts predict that precautionary methods will only increase with time, as more solar energy becomes increasingly commonplace. - RT.

OMEN & SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: The Next Solar Eclipse On March 20th Will Plunge The United Kingdom Into Darkness - The Biggest Blackout Since 1999!

Corona time: What the sky will look like in March

February 25, 2015 - UNITED KINGDOM - Power supplies could drop suddenly next month when the UK is plunged into darkness with an eclipse of the sun.

Energy experts warned there could be possible blackouts in the biggest solar eclipse since 1999.

Nearly 90 per cent of the sun's rays will be blocked out in parts of Europe on March 20.

In London and the South East, 85 per cent of the sun will be obscured by the moon whilst in northern Scotland, more than 95 per cent will be covered.

The National Grid has warned that solar power output in Britain will halve during the event.
It is unlikely to cause problems as so little electricity comes from solar power im the UK but other parts of Europe come be plunged into darkness.

Eclipse map courtesy of Fred Espenak -
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

The European Network Transmission System Operators for Electricity said: "The risk of incident cannot be completely ruled out. Solar eclipses have happened before but with the increase of installed photovoltaic energy generation, the risk of an incident could be serious without appropriate countermeasures."

The organisation said it had been planning for months so that suppliers across Europe provide more energy from other power stations during the hours that solar energy supplies are hit. Patrick Graichen, executive director of Agora Energiewende, a renewable energy think-tank in Berlin, said such events might become problematic in the future as more solar farms are built.

He told the Financial Times: "In a way March 20 is a glimpse into the future of our power systems."

The eclipse will last around two hours from 8.40am. The next one will not be until 2026.

The UK's leading group for beginners to stargazing, the Society for Popular Astronomy, has made a video with practical tips on how to observe the eclipse safely. It is presented by Lucie Green, from the BBC's The Sky at Night. - Telegraph.

SOLAR ACTIVITY & INFRASTRUCTURE COLLAPSE: The Solar Eclipse Next March Threatens Europe's Power Grid - Production May Drop As Much As 30,000 Megawatts And Temperature "May Drop 6 Degrees Celsius In Just 30 Minutes"!

A partially eclipsed sun is seen from Juba November 3, 2013 (Reuters / Goran Tomasevic)

November 7, 2014 - EUROPE - When an almost total solar eclipse starts on March 20, 2015 and casts an umbra on northern Europe, it may face an unprecedented test of its electricity grid due to the massive development of solar power production.

The warning comes from the French power grid RTE, which said Friday that Europe must be prepared for the event.

"The passage of this shadow will considerably reduce photovoltaic power production," Dominique Maillard, the head of RTE, told reporters during its winter outlook presentation, as cited by Reuters. "According to our calculations, the impact could be a drop in production of as much as 30,000 megawatts across Europe, it's the equivalent of a six degrees Celsius drop in temperatures in half an hour."

The last time Europe experienced a similar plunge into darkness was in August 1999, long before the Fukushima disaster scare and development of better solar panels led to a boom of photovoltaic electricity.

European solar power leader Germany currently has nearly 37,000 MW of installed solar capacity, which accounts for almost 30 percent of domestic consumption. Compared to Germany, France has been slow to adopt the technology, with its total installed solar capacity standing at 5,000 MW – a mere 1 percent of the country’s total energy generating capacity.

Solar panels surround the entrance to the Wacker Chemie AG facility in the south-east Bavarian town of Burghausen (Reuters)

The danger posed by the eclipse is not so much from lower output from solar panels but rather from the rapid decease and increase, which would happen if the weather on March 20 is good.

"If it's a cloudy day, it will go almost unnoticed. We will only know almost at the last minute, but that doesn't prevent us from getting our contingency plans ready," Reuters reported Maillard as saying.

To prepare the plans RTE wants to coordinate back-up capacity together with other European grid operators.

The eclipse is expected on the morning of March 20, 2015. For roughly an hour, direct sunlight will be blocked over Norway and other northern European states. For roughly an hour and a half, it will be visible in other parts of Europe and North Africa. - RT.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: The Celestial Convergence - Rare Hybrid Solar Eclipse Sweeps Across The World!

November 03, 2013 - SPACE - A rare "hybrid" solar eclipse, hailed as "the most interesting eclipse of the year", has swept across parts of Africa, America and Europe on Sunday.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Sun and the Earth casting a shadow on the Earth. It's a rare event because this is a hybrid type. During a total eclipse, the Moon fully covers the Sun, whereas in the annular variety the Moon doesn't totally block out the Sun, leaving a halo of sunlight visible around the Moon.

A partial solar eclipse is seen over the Sudanese capital Khartoum, on November 3, 2013
(AFP Photo / Ebrahim Hamid)

This picture taken on November 3, 2013 shows a rare hybrid solar eclipse through clouds from
the Canary Island of Tenerife (AFP Photo / Desiree Martin)

A partial solar eclipse is seen over the Egyptian capital Cairo, on November 3, 2013
(AFP Photo / Khaled Desouki)

A hybrid eclipse usually starts and ends as an annular event, although it appears as a total eclipse in the middle.

According to NASA, this Sunday's eclipse is even more unique as it starts annular and ends as a total eclipse.

Thanks to the round shape of the Earth, lucky enthusiasts in West Africa have a chance to observe a total eclipse, while others in Europe and in the US will only see the sun partly obscured.


WATCH: Rare hybrid solar eclipse sweeps across the world. 

Doctors warn, however, that during the eclipse viewers shouldn't look directly at the sun, unless they use special welder's glasses or are watching the phenomenon with a pinhole camera. Plain sunglasses won't protect the naked eye well enough.

 The eclipse begins about 1,000 kilometers east of Jacksonville, Florida, with an annular eclipse visible for four seconds at sunrise.

The greatest part of the eclipse is expected to take place over the Atlantic Ocean, about 330 kilometers southwest of Liberia, at 12:47 GMT, lasting one minute and 39 seconds.


WATCH: SLOOH's complete coverage of the hybrid eclipse. 

WATCH: SLOOH's total eclipse coverage highlight. 

WATCH: SLOOH's total eclipse coverage highlight with Paul Cox from Kenya. 

A state on the west coast of Central Africa, Gabon, will get peak viewing of the total eclipse sweeping over a path some 60 kilometers wide. At its peak, the sun will be blocked out for about one minute.

"The eclipse will then continue across Africa through the Congo until it passes through northern Uganda and northern Kenya, ending in southern Ethiopia and Somalia," the International Astronomical Union said. In northern Kenya, the eclipse will last about 10 seconds.

Depending on the weather, partial phases of the eclipse will be visible in southern Europe, including parts of Spain, Italy and Greece. - RT.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Celestial Convergence - The Rare Hybrid Solar Eclipse On November 3rd, May Be Visible From Eastern North America To The Middle East!

October 31, 2013 - SPACE - The moon will blot out the sun Sunday (Nov. 3) in an eclipse that will be visible from eastern North America to the Middle East.

Phillip Calais took this image of a plane flying during a partial solar eclipse in early May 2013 from
Monument Hill in Fremantle, Australia. He took this photo using a Canon 40D with Canon
400 mm f5.6 lens and a 2x teleconverter. The photo was taken at 7:05 a.m. and the sun was
only about 1.4 degrees above the horizon.  Credit: Copyright Phillip Calais

Sunday's celestial event is a relatively rare occurrence known as a hybrid solar eclipse. It will begin as an annular or "ring of fire" eclipse along the path of totality, then shift to a total eclipse as the moon's shadow sweeps across our planet.

What you'll observe depends on where you live. Skywatchers in the eastern United States, northeastern South America, southern Europe, the Middle East and most of Africa will be treated to a partial solar eclipse, while people along the path of totality in central Africa will see the sun totally obscured by Earth's nearest neighbor for a few dramatic moments. 

If you live in eastern North America, you'll have to get up early to enjoy the show. The partial eclipse will be visible at sunrise — about 6:30 a.m. local time — and last for about 45 minutes, experts say. Viewers in Boston and New York will see the sun more than 50 percent covered by the moon, while our star will appear 47 percent obscured from Miami and Washington, D.C.


WATCH: Annular "Ring of Fire" Eclipse Caught From Australia.

All of the action in this part of the world will be occurring low in the sky, less than 8 degrees from the east-southeast horizon. (Your fist held at arm's length measures about 10 degrees.) So you'll want to find a spot that affords a good look at the horizon, without any buildings or hills blocking the view.

The path of totality, meanwhile, starts in the Atlantic Ocean off the eastern U.S. and runs through Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and several other African nations before petering out in southern Ethiopia and Somalia around sunset.

The path of the hybrid solar eclipse of Nov. 3, 2013. Credit: Fred Espenak/NASA GSFC

Warning: If you are planning to watch Sunday's solar eclipse in person, be extremely careful. Never look directly at the sun, either with the naked eye or through telescopes or binoculars without proper filters. To safely view solar eclipses, you can buy special solar filters or No. 14 welder's glass to wear over your eyes. Standard sunglasses will NOT provide sufficient protection.

You can also build a simple pinhole camera, or look at the shadows filtering onto the ground through the leaves on a tree. (The spaces between leaves often create many natural pinholes). - SPACE.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Solar Watch - M3.9 Solar Flare And Spectacular Prominence Eruption On The Sun; Ice Halo Seen Around The Sun; And Stunning "Ring Of Fire" Solar Eclipse!

May 10, 2013 - THE SUN - A sunspot located just behind the sun's northeastern limb erupted during the early hours of May 10th, producing an M3-class solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the explosion's extreme ultraviolet flash: movie. The farside active region will turn toward Earth in the days ahead.

The return of old Sunspot 1726 is looking good in terms of higher solar activity. Another M-Class flare, this time peaking at M1.3 was just detected at 12:56 UTC. This region will continue to rotate into view over the next 24 hours.

Old Sunspot 1726 is proving to be a bit of a firecracker. The returning active region hiding just off the east limb produced a C9.0 solar flare at 23:00 UTC, followed by a stronger M3.9 event at 00:53 UTC. The sunspot rotation will carry the active region back into Earth view within the next 24 hours.

WATCH: M3.9 Solar Flare - May 10, 2013.

PROMINENCE: On Thursday afternoon, SDO captured a large prominence eruption off the southwest limb. A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is visible in the latest STEREO Ahead COR2 imagery. Because of the eruption location, the plasma cloud will be directed away from Earth.

WATCH: Prominence Eruption - May 9, 2013.

For the past few days, astronomers around the world have been monitoring a bushy filament of magnetism dancing along the sun's western limb. Sergio Castillo of Inglewood CA photographed the structure on May 9th just before it collapsed:

"OMG! This giant prominence was one of the most spectacular I have ever witnessed," says Castillo. "Yesterday, however, it collapsed on its own magnetic field and nothing remains of it." The filament has disappeared from the sun, but all 250,000 km of it may still be found in the space weather photo gallery. Start looking.


SUNSPOTS: Sunspot AR1736 has a beta-gamma magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class solar flares.

Credit: SDO/HMI

CORONAL HOLES: Solar wind flowing from this coronal hole should reach Earth on May 14-15.

Credit: SDO/AIA.

ICE HALO AROUND THE SUN: On May 6th, Daryl Pederson went to Point Woronzof in Anchorage, Alaska, to see the USS Anchorage depart. "But," says Pederson, "the sun refused to be outshone." Instead of photographing the amphibious warship, he recorded this complex ice halo in the sky overhead:

The luminous arcs and rings around the sun are caused by sunlight shining through ice crystals in thin, high clouds. Usually only one or two of these ice halos appears at once, but Pederson caught at least 6 different varieties, identified and labeled above by atmospheric optics expert Les Cowley. "It is sometimes hard to believe that tiny ice crystals floating in the air or clouds can make such precise and beautiful sky geometry," comments Cowley. "Two reasons:- One, the small crystals unlike their larger and more familiar snowflake cousins are near optically perfect. Two, they are set firmly in near perfect alignments by aerodynamic drag forces as they drift slowly down relative to local air currents. Only the circular 22o halo comes from tumbling crystals and they generate geometric perfection, too!" More optical perfection may be found in the space weather photo gallery.

"RING OF FIRE" SOLAR ECLIPSE: As the sun rose over Australia on Friday morning, May 10th, the solar disk turned into a ring of fire. The day began with an annular solar eclipse:

Nicole Hollenbeck took the picture from inside the narrow path of annularity about 70km south of Newman, Australia. At the time, more than 95% of the sun's diameter was covered by the Moon. In an annular eclipse the Moon is not quite big enough to cover the entire solar disk. A blinding ring of solar fire juts out around the Moon, overwhelming the sun's delicate corona. It may not be the same as totality, but annularity has a charm and beauty all its own. Browse the gallery for more images from the eclipse zone.

WATCH: "Ring Of Fire" Solar Eclipse Over Australia.

SOURCES: Space Weather | Solar Ham.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: The Celestial Convergence - Solar Eclipse Set To Turn Sun Into "Ring Of Fire" This Week!

May 07, 2013 - SPACE - The moon will block the sun in a potentially spectacular solar eclipse this week — a celestial event that will transform the sun into a cosmic "ring of fire" in the daytime sky.

The ring-shaped solar eclipse , known as an annular eclipse, will occur Thursday and Friday Eastern time. Weather permitting, the eclipse will be visible in certain parts of Australia and the Southern Pacific Ocean, where the local time will be Friday.

A perfect ring of fire captured by Kevin Baird on May 20th, 2012 from Bluit, New Mexico.
(Credit: Kevin Baird/Universe Today flickr Group).

"Solar eclipses can be inspirational to students and others, so it is interesting to have everyone view the eclipse, but only safe methods of viewing should be used," Jay Pasachoff, an astronomer at Williams College and chairman of the International Astronomical Union's working group on eclipses, said in a statement. [See Spectacular Photos of a 'Ring of Fire' Solar Eclipse]

While nearly 95 percent of the sun will be covered by the moon at the eclipse's peak, the sky will not be noticeably darker to the naked eye at any point, explained Williams College officials in Williamstown, Mass.

For this reason, special protective lenses, camera and telescope filters and other methods of protection should be used in order to safely watch the eclipse even during full annularity, when the sun is silhouetting the moon.

Skywatcher Charles Medendorp took this photo of the annular eclipse at the Very Large Array outside Socorro, N.M., on May 20, 2012. Charles Medendorp

The path of annularity passes through parts of Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland in Australia. Other nearby parts of the world will be able to see a partial solar eclipse, if weather permits.

The Hawaiian Islands, other parts of Australia, the southern Philippines, eastern Indonesia, other areas in Papua New Guinea and a small part of New Zealand will get at least a partial show, Williams College officials said.

The entire world should be able to catch a glimpse of the annular eclipse thanks to the online Slooh Space Camera. Slooh will play host to a webcast featuring expert commentary and views of the eclipse on Thursday starting at 5:30 p.m. EDT. You can watch the broadcast live on Space.com.

The first solar eclipse of 2013 occurs at the moon's descending node in eastern Ares. An annular eclipse will be visible from Australia, eastern Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and the Gilbert Islands.
Eclipse predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA / GSFC

During annular solar eclipses, the moon casts a shadow on the face of the Earth when it passes between the planet and the star. Because of its orbit, however, the moon still appears about 4.5 percent smaller than the sun, creating the distinct ring in the sky, Joe Rao, a Space.com contributor and meteorologist said.

This week's solar eclipse comes on the heels of a partial lunar eclipse that shadowed the moon above Central Asia, Western Australia, Eastern Europe and Africa. Another minor lunar eclipse will occur on May 24.

These aren't the only eclipses of 2013. On Nov. 3, a rare hybrid solar eclipse — an annular eclipse that transitions into a total eclipse — will be visible in the northern Atlantic Ocean and into equatorial Africa.

WATCH: Solar Eclipse and Evening Planets - May, 2013.

WARNING: Never look directly at the sun during an eclipse with a telescope or your unaided eye. Severe eye damage can result and scientists use special filters to safely view the sun.

Editor's note: If you live in the observing area of Thursday's solar eclipse and safely snap an amazing picture of the sun that you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, send photos, comments and your name and location to Managing Editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com. - NBC News.

SOLAR WATCH: Celestial Convergence - Partial Solar Eclipse and Spellbinding Planetary Alignments!

A NASA satellite orbiting the Earth has captured rare footage of the moon eclipsing the sun.

SOLAR ECLIPSE: On Feb. 21st, the new Moon passed in front of the sun, off-center, producing a partial solar eclipse. The only place to see it was from space. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) sends this picture from geosynchronous orbit approximately 36,000 km above Earth's surface. Using a bank of 16 megapixel cameras, SDO observed the event at multiple extreme ultraviolet wavelengths. Scan the edge of the Moon in this 171 Å image. The little bumps and irregularities you see are lunar mountains backlit by solar plasma. Also, Steele Hill, SDO's Media Specialist at the Goddard Space Flight Center, has prepared a movie of the event. Beyond the novelty of observing an eclipse from space, these images have practical value to the SDO science team. The sharp edge of the lunar limb helps researchers measure the in-orbit characteristics of the telescope--e.g., how light diffracts around the telescope's optics and filter support grids. Once these are calibrated, it is possible to correct SDO data for instrumental effects and sharpen the images even more than before. During the eclipse, the edge of the Moon briefly covered sunspot AR1422, a source of strong ultraviolet emissions. SDO's EVE sensor, which measures the sun's extreme UV output, saw a sharp drop at several wavelengths when the sunspot was behind the Moon. This should allow scientists to calibrate the spectrum of energy emitted by the sunspot's magnetic canopy--a rare opportunity, indeed. - Space Weather.

Space Weather is also indicating that there is a slight (10%) chance of M-class solar flares today from sunspot AR1422. A solar wind stream flowing from a coronal hole on the south-central part of the sun, should reach Earth on Feb. 25-26.

Meanwhile, the brightest planets in the night sky are aligning for a must-see show in late February and March 2012.

Go out at sunset and look west.  Venus and Jupiter pop out of the twilight even before the sky fades completely black.  The two brilliant planets surrounded by evening blue is a beautiful sight.  If you go out at the same time tomorrow, the view improves, because Venus and Jupiter are converging.  In mid-February they are about 20 degrees apart.  By the end of the month, the angle narrows to only 10 degrees—so close that you can hide them together behind your outstretched palm.  Their combined beauty grows each night as the distance between them shrinks. A special night to look is Saturday, Feb. 25^th, when the crescent Moon moves in to form a slender heavenly triangle with Venus, Jupiter and the Moon as vertices (sky map).  One night later, on Sunday, Feb. 26^th, it happens again (sky map). This arrangement will be visible all around the world, from city and countryside alike.  The Moon, Venus and Jupiter are the brightest objects in the night sky; together they can shine through urban lights, fog, and even some clouds.After hopping from Venus to Jupiter in late February, the Moon exits stage left, but the show is far from over. In March, Venus and Jupiter continue their relentless convergence until, on March 12^th and 13^th, the duo lie only three degrees apart—a spectacular double beacon in the sunset sky (sky map).  Now you’ll be able to hide them together behind a pair of outstretched fingertips. - NASA.