A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, partially or completely blocking the Sun's light from reaching the Earth.
A solar eclipse is when the Moon comes directly between the Sun and the Earth, in a straight line. This only happens at the time of the new moon, when the illuminated side of the Moon is not visible from the Earth. At that moment, the Moon blocks more or less the light of the Sun and casts its shadow on certain parts of our planet. And there, it's a guaranteed spectacle if you're in the right place: the day suddenly dims in the middle of the afternoon, or it can even become completely dark in the case of a total eclipse. This phenomenon can only occur due to this perfect alignment, which happens only during certain very specific new moons.
The lunar orbit is slightly inclined relative to that of the Earth around the Sun, which explains why we don't have a solar eclipse every month. The Moon travels around the Earth along a slightly tilted path, about 5 degrees, which means that most of the time, its shadow passes above or below the Earth without touching anyone. But from time to time, when the Moon crosses just the right spot—what is called a lunar node—it passes directly in front of the Sun, causing an eclipse. The funny thing is that the lunar orbit varies a bit over time, so eclipses never occur in exactly the same place or under the same conditions each year.
When the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, it casts two different shadow zones behind it. The first, small and dark, is the umbra: here, the Sun is completely obscured, and you can witness a total eclipse. Surrounding this shadow is a wider and more diffuse shadow called the penumbra. In this area, only a part of the Sun is obscured: you then experience a partial eclipse. More rarely, if the Moon's shadow does not directly reach the Earth because it is a bit too far away, a sort of small bright ring remains visible around the lunar disc. That is called an annular eclipse. These two shadow zones explain why, even during the same eclipse, not everyone sees exactly the same thing.
During a total eclipse, the Moon completely covers the Sun. Day turns to night for a few minutes, with a surprising darkness. You can even see the solar corona shining around the obscured Sun. A partial eclipse occurs when our satellite hides just a part of the Sun, giving the strange impression that a piece has been nibbled away. Finally, during an annular eclipse, the Moon does not completely cover the solar body (it is too far from the Earth). Therefore, a spectacular bright ring, called the "ring of fire," is visible.
On average, between 2 and 5 solar eclipses occur each year around the world, but total eclipses at the same location are very rare, approximately every 375 years for a specific place. This is not a matter of chance, but of cycles. The most well-known is the Saros cycle, which lasts about 18 years and 11 days: after this period, the Sun, Moon, and Earth nearly return to the same configuration, and eclipses repeat in a very similar manner, but shifted geographically. Today, thanks to our understanding of these cycles and very precise calculations, we can predict the time, duration, and even the exact trajectory of a solar eclipse to the second, centuries in advance.
On average, a total solar eclipse lasts only a few minutes at the same location, even though the entire phenomenon can last several hours from its formation to its complete disappearance from the Earth's surface.
When a total solar eclipse occurs, it is possible to temporarily observe stars and planets during the day, as the sunlight drops sharply.
Scientists use solar eclipses to better study the solar corona, the outer atmosphere of the Sun that is normally hidden by its intense light.
The term 'saros' refers to the approximate cycle of 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours that allows for the prediction of eclipses over time. Babylonian astronomers were already using it over 2500 years ago.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, thus partially or totally obscuring the Sun. In contrast, a lunar eclipse happens when the Earth positions itself between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow on the Moon.
Every year, there are usually between two and five solar eclipses, but they do not always occur in the same locations. At a specific spot on Earth, a total solar eclipse is relatively rare, often separated by several decades.
The maximum duration of a total solar eclipse generally does not exceed seven and a half minutes, although most of them are much shorter, lasting about two to four minutes.
The apparent size of the Moon varies depending on its position in its elliptical orbit around the Earth. When it is farther away, it appears slightly smaller, resulting in an annular eclipse where the disk of the Sun appears as a bright ring around the Moon.
Yes, it is very dangerous to look directly at a solar eclipse with the naked eye, even during the partial phase. This can cause serious eye injuries. It is essential to use certified special glasses or other safe viewing methods.
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