Beyond the attraction it arouses and the meaning it usually acquires, A solar eclipse is an astronomical phenomenon What happens when a celestial body such as the moon or a planet enters the path of light from another celestial body produce a shadow, partially or completely blocking its light from the viewer.
A solar eclipse requires the precise alignment of at least three celestial bodiess, that is, one of them is in the center and casts a shadow on the other.
on earth we can see a solar eclipse that occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth It blocks sunlight and casts a shadow on parts of the earth.
Also the moon, which occurs when the earth moves between the sun and the moon, It blocks the sunlight that normally illuminates the moon.
The European Space Agency (ESA) explains: “A solar eclipse can be a total solar eclipse, an annular solar eclipse, or a partial solar eclipse.”. Additionally, “During a total solar eclipse, the Sun, Moon, and Earth are perfectly aligned and the Moon covers the entire solar disc.”
Instead, “During an annular solar eclipsethe outer edge of the Sun remains visible as a bright ring around the Moon. This is because the moon’s size in the sky changes as it moves along its elliptical orbit around Earth, making it appear smaller as it gets farther away.
During partial solar eclipseBecause the moon does not pass directly between the sun and Earth, only part of the sun is covered by the moon. It’s like the moon is biting the sun.
A solar eclipse occurs approximately every 16 months, and a total solar eclipse (When the sun is completely covered by the moon) It can last up to seven and a half minutes.
The moon orbits the Earth once every 28 days, so it’s surprising that we don’t see a solar eclipse every month. This is because the moon’s orbit around the Earth is tilted. The Moon often crosses above or below an imaginary line connecting the Sun and Earth. Only when the moon crosses this line can we see a solar eclipse.
“lunar eclipse Anyone on Earth with the moon above the horizon can see it. much more common than sunlight. Occurs up to 5 times per year and can last a total of 100 minutes” explains ESA.
If the Sun, Earth, and Moon are in a straight line, the Moon will be completely covered by the shadow of the Earth’s center (total lunar eclipse). Some of the sunlight is refracted onto the moon through Earth’s atmosphere, giving it a reddish color.
If the Moon is not perfectly aligned with the Earth and the Sun, a complete shadow may cover only part of the Moon’s surface (partial lunar eclipse).
On the other hand, if the alignment is even less perfect, the Moon will fall into a more diffuse partial shadow cast by the Earth. As a result, the light shadows created on the moon’s surface are very subtle and difficult to observe.
Meanwhile, NASA reports: The next solar eclipse will occur on February 17th (ring-shaped, visible in Antarctica, partially visible in Antarctica, Africa, South America, Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans) and August 12, 2026 (Total solar eclipses are visible in small areas of Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, and Portugal, while partial solar eclipses are visible in Europe, Africa, North America, the Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean.)
The next lunar eclipse is scheduled for March 3rd (Totals from Asia, Australia, Pacific Islands, and America are shown) and August 27 and 28, 2026 (Partially visible from America, Europe, Africa, and Western Asia)
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