PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

What Is A Partial Solar Eclipse?

• Unlike during a total solar eclipse, the Moon covers the Sun only partly during a partial solar eclipse, as seen from Earth. This phenomenon is visible when only the lunar penumbra (the partially shaded outer region of the Moon’s shadow) touches the Earth. The extent of the eclipse varies depending on the observer’s location but regardless of a viewer’s position, the Sun is only partially eclipsed.

• Unlike during a total solar eclipse, the Moon covers the Sun only partly during a partial solar eclipse, as seen from Earth. This phenomenon is visible when only the lunar penumbra (the partially shaded outer region of the Moon’s shadow) touches the Earth. The extent of the eclipse varies depending on the observer’s location but regardless of a viewer’s position, the Sun is only partially eclipsed.

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Partial Solar Eclipses Explained

• Partial solar eclipses can be seen more often than total solar eclipses because the Moon’s distance from the Earth is irrelevant (not connected with or relevant to something) and the area in which a partial solar eclipse can be viewed is much larger.A partly obscured Sun can be seen from Earth during New Moon, when:

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Partial Solar Eclipses Explained (Continued)

• The Sun is near the one of the nodes of the Lunar orbit (orbit of an object around the Moon), so Earth, Sun, and Moon, roughly form a straight line.

• The observer is located in the Moon’s penumbra (a partial shadow, as seen in an eclipse).

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Why Do Partial Solar Eclipses Do Not Happen Every New Moon?

• The reason why partial solar eclipses happen do not happen every New Moon is that the lunar orbital plane- the imaginary flat surface whose outer rim is formed by the Moon’s path around Earth-runs at an angle of approx. 5 degrees to the Earth’s orbital plane around the Sun (ecliptic). The point where the 2 orbital planes meet are called lunar nodes. Only if the Sun appears near one of the two lunar nodes during New Moon

so Earth, Moon, and Sun form a straight line so a total or a partial solar eclipse because depends if the Moon, Earth, and Sun don’t form an exact straight line.

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What is the difference between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse?

• A lunar eclipse is an eclipse of the Moon rather than the Sun. It happens when the Moon passes through Earth's shadow. This is only possible when the Moon is in the Full Moon phase. If the Moon's inner or umbral shadow sweeps across Earth's surface, then a total eclipse of the Sun is seen. The track of the Moon's umbral shadow across Earth is called the Path of Totality. It is typically 10,000 miles long but only about 100 miles wide. It covers less than 1% of Earth's entire surface area. In order to see the Sun become completely eclipsed by the Moon, you must be somewhere inside the narrow path of totality. Just one total eclipse occurs each year or two.

How To Protect Your Eyes When Viewing Solar Eclipses

• If you are lucky enough to be able to see a partial or solar eclipse, you should make sure you protect your eyes and never look directly at the Sun without proper protection. This is because the Sun’s photosphere emits intense UV radiation. Just as UV radiation causes sunburn to skin, it can also damage the retinas in the eyes, but much more quickly than sunburn.

• The only way to view the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed Sun safely is to either project or filter the solar photosphere’s rays.

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How To Protect Your Eyes When Viewing Solar Eclipses (Continued)

• One safe way to view the Sun is to project it’s image on to a screen, like normal white paper or cardboard. Projection works well with or without a telescope or binoculars. However, you must never look through the telescope’s eyepiece or side-mouthed finder scope when aiming a telescope or binocular at the Sun to project a magnified Sun’s image on a screen of white paper or cardboard.

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• That this year there will be 2 solar eclipses. The first one is on May 10 which is an Annular Solar Eclipse and the second one is on November 03 which is a Hybrid Solar Eclipse. If you get the chance, then for sure watch these solar eclipses 6J!!!!!

DID YOU KNOW?

Bibliography

• www.timeanddate.com

• www.mreclipse.com

• www.library.thinkquest.org

• www.scienceforkids.org

• www.science.nationalgeographic.com

• www.rmg.co.uk

• Google Images