Mean Cloud Cover in June for Southern Africa. Darker regions have less cloud cover in general in the month of June. These regions have the highest possibility of having clear viewing of the solar eclipse. Please click on image for full legend.
Click on image for full size
Courtesy of NASA

A Big Day for the Sun
News story originally written on June 20, 2001

On Thursday, June 21, 2001, there will be a total eclipse of the Sun. The eclipse will only be visible from parts of Africa and Madagascar. The triple line on the image to the left shows the path of where a total eclipse will be seen. Though this region is narrow, a partial eclipse will be seen throughout most of Africa.

This is the first total eclipse of the new millennium. NASA will broadcast coverage of the eclipse to the rest of the world on NASA television and over the internet.

It may seem as if the Sun will be taking a break in the southern hemisphere during this eclipse. But, June 21st also marks the summer solstice for the northern hemisphere. The summer solstice is officially the first day of summer for the northern hemisphere. It is the longest day of the year with the Sun reaching its highest point in the sky for the whole year. So, you can see this really is a big day for the Sun!

Last modified June 20, 2001 by Jennifer Bergman.

You might also be interested in:

Traveling Nitrogen Classroom Activity Kit

Check out our online store - minerals, fossils, books, activities, jewelry, and household items!...more

Solar Eclipses

An eclipse of the Sun occurs when the Earth passes through the Moon's shadow. A total eclipse of the Sun takes place only during a new moon, when the Moon is directly between the Sun and the Earth. When...more

1999--A Year in Review...

It was another exciting and frustrating year for the space science program. It seemed that every step forward led to one backwards. Either way, NASA led the way to a great century of discovery. Unfortunately,...more

STS-95 Launch: "Let the wings of Discovery lift us on to the future."

The Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on October 29th at 2:19 p.m. EST. The weather was great as Discovery took 8 1/2 minutes to reach orbit. This was the United States' 123rd...more

Moon Found Orbiting Asteroid

A moon was discovered orbiting the asteroid, Eugenia. This is only the second time in history that a satellite has been seen circling an asteroid. A special mirror allowed scientists to find the moon...more

U.S. is Fed Up with Russia

Will Russia ever put the service module for the International Space Station in space? NASA officials want an answer from the Russian government. The necessary service module is currently waiting to be...more

More on Recent Coronal Mass Ejection

A coronal mass ejection (CME) happened on the Sun early last month. The material that was thrown out from this explosion passed the ACE spacecraft. The SWICS instrument on ACE has produced a new and very...more

Mother Nature's Air Conditioning

J.S. Maini of the Canadian Forest Service called forests the "heart and lungs of the world." This is because forests filter air and water pollution, absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen, and maintain...more

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA