solar eclipse is a astronomical phenomenon that occurs when the moon stands between Earth and Sun, hiding the light emitted by the star towards the planet.
For there to be a solar eclipse some basic conditions are needed. In addition to the moon being in its Nova phase, it must also cross the Earth's orbital plane, called the "line of nodes".
As the moon's orbital trajectory around the Earth is different from that of the Earth around the Sun, this “crossover” between orbits only occurs on average twice a year.
If both celestial bodies (Earth and Moon) had the same rhythm and orbital line, every time the moon was in its new phase, there would be a solar eclipse.
Learn more about the meaning of Eclipses.
Types of Solar Eclipses
Solar eclipses can be of two main types: totals or partial. In the first case, the Sun's luminosity is completely hidden by the moon, while in the partial eclipse, only part of the Sun's light is hidden by the natural satellite.
What characterizes the total solar eclipse is the momentary absence of sunlight in a certain region. In this case, the moon is at a stage of the orbital trajectory very close to Earth, giving the optical illusion of being the same size as the sun. Zones where sunlight is completely blocked by the moon are called
thresholds.In turn, the place where the sunlight is partially hidden by the moon is called penumbral, and characterizes partial solar eclipses.
Total eclipses can be up to 7 minutes long, while partial eclipses reach the maximum mark of up to 13 minutes.
There are still other different genres of solar eclipses: cancel and hybrid.
Also known as an annular eclipse or a ring eclipse, an annular eclipse occurs when the moon is in its farthest earth orbit and it cannot completely cover the sun, forming a sort of “solar ring” around the silhouette of the natural satellite.
A hybrid eclipse occurs when the positioning of the moon causes the eclipse to be seen as total in certain areas of the Earth and partial in others.
See also the meaning of Penumbra.
Difference between solar eclipse and lunar eclipse
The solar eclipse occurs when the moon is in its Nova phase, that is, its orbit is between the sun and the Earth.
The lunar eclipse only happens when the moon is full, in this case the planet Earth is between the sun and the natural satellite.
Both cases are classified as astronomical phenomena and can be observed with the naked eye from planet Earth, according to ideal climatic conditions.
See also the meaning of Sun.
