Solar Eclipse on August 1, 2008

The solar eclipse that took place on August 1, 2008 was a total eclipse of the Sun with a magnitude of 1.039 that was visible from a narrow corridor through northern Canada (Nunavut), Greenland, central Russia, eastern Kazakhstan, western Mongolia and China. It belonged to the so-called midnight sun eclipses, as it was visible from regions experiencing midnight sun.
In Siberia, the total eclipse zone passed through populated places, including the "capital of Siberia" Novosibirsk, and the cities of Nizhnevartovsk, Barnaul and Biysk. The greatest eclipse duration was reached near the town of Nadym in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug in Northern Siberia.
A partial eclipse could be seen from the much broader path of the Moon's penumbra, including eastern North America and most of Europe and Asia.

SOLAR ECLIPSES: WHY ECLIPSES HAPPEN

Solar eclipses happen when the Moon blocks the light from the Sun
During a total solar eclipse, the sky appears as dark as night, and you can see the Sun's glowing corona

A solar eclipse occurs when the Sun, the Moon and the Earth all line up. The Moon blocks the light of the Sun, and casts a shadow on the Earth.

TYPES OF ECLIPSE

1. Partial - A partial eclipse happens when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, but does not cover it completely
2. Total - A total eclipse occurs when the Moon covers the Sun completely. Only a small region of the Earth will see a total eclipse, but observers in the nearby regions see a partial eclipse.
3. Annular - If the Moon is further away from the Earth than normal, then it will not appear large enough in the sky to cover the Sun. The Sun appears as a ring with a dark centre.
4. Hybrid - A hybrid eclipse is one which appears as a total eclipse in some parts of the world, and as an annular eclipse in others.