A total eclipse of the sun occurs Sunday, but don't be so quick to take out your special viewing glasses. Unlike recent solar eclipses, this year's complete blotting out of the sun will be visible only in a narrow slice of the Southern Hemisphere. The spectacle begins at sunrise some 1,200 miles (1,931 kilometers) northeast of New Zealand. The moon's shadow will sweep across the South Pacific, darkening skies over the Cook Islands, Easter Island, southern Chile and Argentina. The time of greatest eclipse will occur over open water, lasting 5 minutes and 20 seconds. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth. The moon blocks the light from the sun and casts a shadow on Earth. The next total solar eclipse will occur in November 2012 and will be visible from northern Australia and the South Pacific.
