[skipwords]When solar eclipses induce blood-red skies and crescent suns, it’s no wonder that ancient people considered them a sign of impending doom. Here is a view of an annular solar eclipse as seen from Jakarta, Indonesia, on Jan. 26, 2009. An annular solar eclipse happens when the moon is at its farthest point in orbit from the Earth. On Jan. 15, 2010, the longest annular eclipse since 1992 was visible from central Africa, the Indian Ocean and eastern Asia. At 11 minutes and eight seconds, it is expected to hold that record until Dec. 23, 3043.[/skipwords]