Arabia weather – A solar eclipse is an astronomical event that is considered the most prominent and important among the astronomical events that occur every year, because it reveals our place in the constantly moving solar system, so that it coincides with its occurrence at that moment when the Earth lines up with the sun and the moon, and in this article we explain how the solar eclipse occurs, And what are its types? And how often does it happen?
What is a solar eclipse?
Solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, so that the sun, the moon and the earth are in one straight line.
According to the US Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA): “A total solar eclipse occurs on the globe only because of celestial coincidences. The sun is 400 times wider than the moon, but it is 400 times farther from the Earth than the distance that separates us from the moon.”
“This geometric position means that when the alignment is accurate and complete, the moon completely blocks the sun, resulting in a total solar eclipse.”
Types of eclipses, total, partial and annular, and the difference between them
There are 3 types of solar eclipses, which vary depending on the position and shadow of the moon:
- total eclipse: Where it occurs in areas that are in the shadow of the moon (Umbra) so that the sunlight is completely blocked and the day turns to almost complete darkness.
- Partial Eclipse: It occurs in regions that are in the penumbra of the moon so that only some of the sun’s rays are blocked, and the day does not turn into complete darkness.
- Annular eclipse: It is another type of solar eclipse. It’s called the “Ring of Fire”, although there is actually no ring of fire but a ring of light. This type of eclipse occurs because the moon’s orbit around the earth is elliptical rather than perfectly circular, so sometimes the moon is farther from the earth than other times and appears smaller than the sun’s disk.
- Hybrid Eclipse: It occurs when the moon is at a distance in which it is able to completely block the sun, but, when it continues its path, it moves away a little from the earth and stops blocking the sun, and the eclipse turns into an annular eclipse. Hybrid eclipses are rare (they make up only regarding 4 percent of solar eclipses). NASA information indicates that the last hybrid eclipse occurred in 2013, and that we have to wait until April 20, 2023 to see the next hybrid eclipse, which will be visible in Indonesia, Australia and Papua New Guinea.
(annular eclipse)
How often does a solar eclipse occur?
Solar eclipses occur two to five times each year, with total eclipses occurring every 18 months or so, and the shape of the eclipse varies depending on where on Earth it is viewed.
With the rotation of the Earth, the moon’s shadow on the Earth (and the scene of the eclipse) moves from west to east, and this path is for areas that witness the total eclipse, while viewers in areas outside the path see a partial eclipse, or they do not see an eclipse at all.
In general, a total solar eclipse is visible everywhere on Earth every 400 years.
When is the next solar eclipse? And the best places to see it
- October 25, 2022: A partial solar eclipse is visible from the UK, Europe, western Russia, the Middle East, western Asia and northeastern Africa.
- April 8, 2024: Total solar eclipse visible across parts of North America.
- March 29, 2025: A partial solar eclipse is visible from northwest Africa, the United Kingdom, Europe, and northern Russia.
- August 12, 2026: A total solar eclipse is visible from the North Pole, Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic Ocean and northern Spain. A partial eclipse in other parts of the world.
What is the phase of the moon during a solar eclipse?
Solar eclipses only occur during the new moon phase (new moon). This is because during a solar eclipse, the sun is behind the moon to us on Earth, illuminating the side we can’t see, leaving the side facing us dark.
But this does not mean that there is a solar eclipse with every new moon, because the sun, the moon and the earth need to line up in such a way that the moon’s shadow falls on the earth, and this does not always happen because the moon’s orbit around the earth is slightly tilted compared to the earth’s orbit around the sun.
If the moon, sun and earth line up when the moon is full, it causes a lunar eclipse. In this case, it is the Earth that passes between the sun and the moon and casts a shadow on the moon.
How long does a solar eclipse last?
The Earth and the Moon are in perpetual motion, so the eclipse is a temporary event. The longest total solar eclipse in modern history was on July 11, 1991 and lasted six minutes and 53 seconds. It may take several hours for the moon to pass in front of the sun, but the moment of total eclipse lasts only minutes, with a maximum of seven minutes and 32 seconds.
What does the eclipse scene look like?
A total solar eclipse is an amazing and unique experience, where we see the sun and the disk of the moon gradually cover it and the surrounding landscape becomes strangely dark, with a faint yellow light.
When the total eclipse occurs, the sun turns into a black disk but is surrounded by white threads representing the outer solar atmosphere (or corona), and following a few minutes the sun disk returns to light once more as the moon moves away.
Eclipses provide an opportunity to study things that would normally be difficult to see because of the sun’s glare. During an eclipse, measurements can be made of rapid changes in the solar corona (the sun’s hot outer atmosphere). Bright stars or planets such as Venus and Jupiter may be visible near the sun in the sky.
Effect of the eclipse on wildlife
The moments of a solar eclipse confuse some aspects of wildlife, such as birds stopping their songs or flying towards their nests, trying to find out what happened. It was as if suddenly night had fallen even though the sun was shining high in the sky just minutes ago. The process of photosynthesis in plants may also stop.
How to watch a solar eclipse safely
You should never look directly at the sun, even with sunglasses or even through dark materials such as a trash bag. These materials do not protect your eyes from infrared rays and can cause permanent eye damage. Never use binoculars or a telescope unless you have a special solar filter fitted or you can use it to view the eclipse on a white card.
As for the safe way to watch the eclipse, it is by wearing special eclipse glasses equipped with light filters, or by making a camera with a hole in it.
