All about Solar Eclipse: An Eclipse Never Comes Alone!

Eclipses are astronomical events where a celestial body partially or totally covers another celestial object. Earth has witnessed a rare solar eclipse today 21st June,2020. While solar eclipses are not rare (we can see as many as five solar eclipses in a year) but this one is rare because it is falling on the summer solstice.

Annular eclipse 2019

SOLAR ECLIPSE

A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes in front of the Sun and casts a shadow across Earth. It's also known as occultation. The reason solar eclipses happen is that the distance between the Sun and the Earth is about 400 times the Moon's distance from the Sun's diameter is approximately 400  times larger than the Moon's.

What this means is that the Sun and the moon both have a very similar size when viewed from Earth, so when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, it blocks the light from reaching Earth. 

DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOLAR ECLIPSE

There are three main types of solar eclipse:

1. Partial solar eclipse : This is when Earth moves through the lunar penumbra(the lighter part of the Moon's shadow) as the Moon moves between earth and the Sun, and so only partially blocks the sunlight from reaching Earth. Depending upon your location during a partial eclipse, you might see anything from a small silver of the Sun being blotted out to a nearly total eclipse.
To view any eclipse safely, use approved filters or use an indirect method of viewing, such as projecting sunlight through a telescope and onto a white paper. NEVER try to look at the eclipse with a telescope unless it has appropriate filter.

2. Annular Solar Eclipse : This is when the Moon and the Sun are both exactly in line but either the Moon is farther from Earth or Earth is closer to the Sun. When it happens, the apparent size of the Moon is smaller than that of Sun and Sun then appears as a very bright ring or annulus, surrounding the dark disk of the Moon.
The period of annularity during such an eclipse can last anywhere from 5 to 6 minutes up to 12 minutes. However, even though the Sun is mostly covered by the Moon, enough bright sunlight escapes during annularity that observers cannot look at the Sun directly. These events require eye protection throughout the entire eclipse.

Types of Eclipses

3. Total Solar Eclipse :  A total eclipse happens when the dark silhouette of the Moon completely covers the intense bright light of the Sun. Only the much fainter solar corona is visible during the total eclipse. Observers in this path see a darkened Sun (often described as a "Hole in the Sky") with the ghostly glow of the solar corona extending out of space.
A total solar eclipse is the ONLY time when it is safe to look directly at the Sun. If the Sun is active, observers can also see solar prominences, loops, and flares during totality.
For Total solar eclipse to take place the Sun, Moon and Earth must be in direct line.

Summer Soltice Solar Eclipse

Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, summer solstice occurs when Earth, orbiting the Sun, reaches its maximum tilt towards the Sun. The Summer Solstice solar eclipse observed today was annular solar eclipse, when Moon was at the farthest point from Earth, making it appear smaller than the Sun.

What made it Unique?

The last time it occurred was in the year 2001 -- 19 years ago that too on June 21, 2001 and before that it occurred in June 21,1982. And the next time it is expected to occur in the year 2039.So, it's pretty rare.

NEVER look directly at the Sun: It can permanently damage your eyes! You must use proper safety equipment to look at any type of solar Eclipse.

An Eclipse Never Comes Alone!!

A solar eclipse always occurs about two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse. Usually, there are two eclipses in a row, but other times, there are three during the same eclipse season.

Eclipse observed today June 21, 2020 was the second eclipse this season.

First eclipse this season: June 5, 2020

Third eclipse this season: July 5, 2020

FACTS ABOUT SOLAR ECLIPSES

• Each year there are between 2 and 5 solar eclipses.
• The total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely obscures the Sun and leaves only the faint solar corona, is also known as totality.
• Total solar eclipses are rare, happening once every 18 months.
• There is another type of solar eclipse known as a hybrid eclipse, which shifts between a total and annular eclipse depending on where you view from on Earth. These are comparatively rare.
• From either the North or South Pole, only a partial solar eclipse is able to be viewed.
• A total solar eclipse can last a maximum of 7 minutes and 30 seconds.
• 269 km is the maximum width of totality.
• Almost identical eclipses occur after 18 years and 11 days - known as Saros Cycle

Source: NASA.org