What is a Solar Eclipse?
A solar eclipse is a celestial event in which the Sun is obscured by the moon. For viewers on certain parts of the Earth, the Sun may appear to completely or partially disappear. Before the mechanism of solar eclipses was understood, a great deal of superstition and mythology surrounded them. Historical documentations of solar eclipses indicate that people greeted them with fear and awe, especially when the sun was totally eclipsed. Put simply, an eclipse happens when the moon gets between the Earth and the Sun. The moon casts a shadow on a certain section of the Earth, and while that section is in the moon’s shadow, the sun appears to vanish. Typically, an eclipse of the sun will not last for more than around seven minutes, as the various astronomical bodies involved move out of alignment very quickly. Eclipses will also not strike the same place twice within 300 years, as a general rule. In order for a solar eclipse to occur, several conditions must be satisfied. First, the moon must
A Solar Eclipse occurs when the Moon passes in front of part or all of the Sun, which casts a shadow over a certain area of the Earth. This can only happen at New Moon, when the Sun, Moon and Earth are in a straight line. A Solar Eclipse doesn’t happen every New Moon though, because the Moon’s orbit is actually tipped about 5° with respect to Earth’s orbit around the Sun. This means that during most New Moon’s, the shadow cast by the Moon actually passes above or below the Earth, and therefore we do not see a Solar Eclipse. The diagram below shows the basic geometry of a Solar Eclipse. The Moon’s shadow has two parts – the Umbra, which is the darker inner shadow, and the Penumbra, which is the fainter outer shadow. Please contact me if you’d like a larger version of the diagram below.
A total solar eclipse is one of the most spectacular astronomical events. It occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth. For a short period of time, the Sun is completely blocked out by the Moon, when viewed from the Earth. Day briefly turns into night, causing tempreatures to drop, birds begin to roost and many animals become confused.
