The Hindu news(solar eclipse)

  • The Hindu news analysisis•

  • ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE

  • Introduction:

    A solar eclipse takes place when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the Sun for a viewer on Earth. Country witnessed an annular solar eclipse on 21th June, 2020. This eclipse is a rare annular eclipse that occurs once in every one or two years, and coincides with the northern hemisphere’s longest day of the year, called the summer solstice

    Eclipse:

    • An eclipse happens when a planet or a moon gets in the way of the Sun’s light. Here on Earth, we can experience two kinds of eclipses: solar eclipses and lunar eclipses.

    Solar Eclipse:

    • It is a natural event that takes place on Earth when the Moon moves in its orbit between Earth and the Sun (this is also known as an occultation).
    • It happens at New Moon, when the Sun and Moon are in conjunction with each other.
    • During an eclipse, the Moon’s shadow (which is divided into two parts: the dark umbra and the lighter penumbra) moves across Earth’s surface.

    Lunar Eclipse:

    • During a lunar eclipse, Earth gets in the way of the sun’s light hitting the moon. That means that during the night, a full moon fades away as Earth’s shadow covers it up.
    • The moon can also look reddish because Earth’s atmosphere absorbs the other colors while it bends some sunlight toward the moon. Sunlight bending through the atmosphere and absorbing other colors is also why sunsets are orange and red.
    • During a total lunar eclipse, the moon is shining from all the sunrises and sunsets occurring on Earth.

    Why don’t we have a lunar eclipse every month?

    • It’s true that the moon goes around Earth every month, but it doesn’t always get in Earth’s shadow.
    • The moon’s path around Earth is tilted compared to Earth’s orbit around the sun. The moon can be behind Earth but still get hit by light from the sun.
    • Because they don’t happen every month, a lunar eclipse is a special event. Unlike solar eclipses, lots of people get to see each lunar eclipse. If you live on the nighttime half of Earth when the eclipse happens, you’ll be able to see it.

    Why isn’t there a solar eclipse every month?

    • If the Moon was only slightly closer to Earth, and orbited in the same plane and its orbit was circular, we would see eclipses each month.
    • The lunar orbit is elliptical and tilted with respect to Earth’s orbit, so we can only see up to 5 eclipses per year. Depending on the geometry of the Sun, Moon and Earth, the Sun can be totally blocked, or it can be partially blocked.

    Solar Eclipse Types:

    • Total Solar Eclipse:

    It occurs when the Moon completely blocks the solar disk. In a total solar eclipse, the narrowest part of the path (where the Sun is completely blocked and the Moon casts its darkest shadow (called the umbra)) is called the “zone of totality”. A phenomenon called “Bailey’s Beads” often appears as sunlight shines out through valleys on the lunar surface.

    • Annular Solar Eclipse:

    When the Moon is farther away in its orbit than usual, it appears too small to completely cover the Sun’s disk. During such an event, a bright ring of sunlight shines around the Moon. This type of eclipse is a called an “annular” eclipse.

    • Partial Solar Eclipse:

    It occurs when Earth moves through the lunar penumbra (the lighter part of the Moon’s shadow) as the Moon moves between Earth and the Sun. The Moon does not block the entire solar disk, as seen from Earth. Depending on your location during a partial eclipse, you might see anything from a small sliver of the Sun being blotted out to a nearly total eclipse.

    How are a lunar eclipse and solar eclipse different?

    • A lunar eclipse occurs at night and a solar eclipse occurs during the day. There are only certain times when either of them can occur.
    • A lunar eclipse can only occur when the moon is directly opposite the Sun in the sky — a full moon. Even though there is a full moon each month, obviously a lunar eclipse does not occur on a monthly basis because the Sun isn’t exactly in line with the Earth and the moon.
    • The moon’s orbit is actually tilted 5 degrees more than that of the Earth; otherwise, we would see a lunar eclipse each month.
    • We can see lunar eclipses more readily than solar eclipses, and it has to do with proximity. The Moon is much closer to the Earth (well over 300 times closer than the Sun!), so the Earth has a much greater chance of blocking sunlight to the Moon, compared to the Moon blocking light from the Sun. Also, a lunar eclipse can be seen from a greater portion of the Earth.
    • Solar eclipses, on the other hand, are more rare and when they do happen can only be seen by a very narrow segment of people on Earth, for a short period of time.
    • It is quite safe to watch a lunar eclipse with the naked eye, while watching a solar eclipse without eyewear protection can seriously damage your eyesight. You can use a telescope to get a clearer view of the moon during an eclipse and really see what is happening.
    • A solar eclipse has always had a more profound effect on humans than a lunar eclipse. This is probably because of the importance of the Sun to all life on Earth. In ancient China, a solar eclipse was thought to be the dragon coming to eat the Sun. The effect that an eclipse has on all life on Earth is of particular interest to scientists. They eagerly await a solar eclipse because it helps them to gather more knowledge about the Sun and its position with respect to Earth.

    Do’s during a solar eclipse:

    • Even during a normal day, people are advised not to stare directly at the Sun. So when it comes to the solar eclipse, one should use special-purpose solar filters or ‘eclipse glasses’ in order to protect their eyes.
    • It also advises against using homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses. Even the darkest pair of sunglasses would still transmit far too much sunlight that could damage the eyes.
    • That being said, even while using eclipse glasses, NASA recommends shielding one’s eyes before looking up at the sky during a solar eclipse. Only remove the glasses if you’ve completely looked away or once the solar eclipse is over — not before.
    • While it’s tempting to use a camera to capture the event or use a telescope or binoculars to catch a closer view, scientists advise against it — even if a person is using eclipse glasses at the time. In doing so, one runs the risk of the concentrated solar rays could causing injury.
    • For near or farsighted, they don’t need to take off their glasses in order to view the eclipse. The eclipse glasses can just go over them. In case that feels uncomfortable, they have the option to opt for a hand-held viewer instead.

    Don’ts during the solar eclipse:

    • Driving during a solar eclipse isn’t recommended. According to the American Automobile, people should drive with their headlights on and safely park their car before observing the event with adequate protection with the proper gear.
    • But life isn’t perfect, and circumstances may dictate that one may have to be on the road. In such cases, watch out for other distracted drivers. AAA advises drivers should keep some additional space between cars and account for the fact they’ll be driving slower on the day.

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