Solar eclipse
hideA solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Sun and the Earth so that the Sun is fully or partially covered. This can only happen during a new moon, when the Sun and Moon are in conjunction as seen from the Earth. At least two and up to five solar eclipses can occur each year on Earth, with between zero and two of them being total eclipses. Total solar eclipses are nevertheless rare at any location because during each eclipse totality exists only along a narrow corridor in the relatively tiny area of the Moon's umbra.
A total solar eclipse is a spectacular natural phenomenon and many people travel to remote locations to observe one. The 1999 total eclipse in Europe helped to increase public awareness of the phenomenon, as illustrated by the number of journeys made specifically to witness the 2005 annular eclipse and the 2006 total eclipse. The recent solar eclipse of January 26, 2009 was an annular eclipse (see below), while the solar eclipse of July 22, 2009 was a total solar eclipse.
In ancient times, and in some cultures today, solar eclipses have been attributed to supernatural causes. Total solar eclipses can be frightening for people who are unaware of their astronomical explanation, as the Sun seems to disappear in the middle of the day and the sky darkens in a matter of minutes.
For more information about Solar eclipse, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with total solar eclipse
Scientists capitalize on extended solar eclipse
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Jul 22, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
Scientists at this observatory outside Hangzhou joined residents and tourists across China and India in observing the longest total solar eclipse in a century and probably the most-viewed ever.
Longest Solar Eclipse of the 21st Century
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Jul 21, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (5) |
0
One one-thousand, 2 one-thousand, 3 one-thousand, 4 one-thousand... Continue counting and don't stop until you reach 399 one-thousand.
'Monster' solar eclipse takes on Asian giants
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Jul 20, 2009 |
4.2 / 5 (10) |
5
The world's most populous nations will gaze skywards Wednesday as the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century lays a carpet of darkness across India and China, from Mumbai to Shanghai.
Celebrating gravity’s light-bending landmark
May 29, 2009 |
3.7 / 5 (7) |
1
(PhysOrg.com) -- Today Oxford University scientists are joining in a special celebration of the first test of Albert Einstein’s theory of gravity on the remote African island where the ground-breaking experiment ...
Search results for total solar eclipse
Avatar's moon Pandora could be real
Dec 17, 2009 |
4.1 / 5 (17) |
6
In the new blockbuster Avatar, humans visit the habitable - and inhabited - alien moon called Pandora. Life-bearing moons like Pandora or the Star Wars forest moon of Endor are a staple of science fiction. ...
Study expects rising interest in energy saving
Dec 16, 2009 |
1 / 5 (1) |
0
(AP) -- Energy-efficient technology for batteries, grids and power storage will be trendy in 2010, according to a study released Wednesday on clean energy technology.
Hubble Finds Smallest Kuiper Belt Object Ever Seen
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Dec 16, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (17) |
8
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has discovered the smallest object ever seen in visible light in the Kuiper Belt, a vast ring of icy debris that is encircling the outer rim of the solar system ...
MESSENGER team releases first global map of mercury
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Dec 15, 2009 |
5 / 5 (5) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's MESSENGER mission team and cartographic experts from the U. S. Geological Survey have created a critical tool for planning the first orbital observations of the planet Mercury - a global ...
ESA's Tigers on prowl for solar corona's secrets
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Dec 11, 2009 |
4.7 / 5 (3) |
1
(PhysOrg.com) -- Bring together a small group of highly motivated researchers, grant them full access to laboratory and production facilities, remove all administrative distractions, and let them work intensively ...
Virgin Galactic readies maiden suborbital flight
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Dec 06, 2009 |
5 / 5 (23) |
10
British billionaire Sir Richard Branson will unveil a craft on Monday that could soon carry tourists on an out-of-this-world trip into space -- for a mere 200,000 dollars. (Update: Virgin Galactic unveils commercial spaceship) ...
China solar panel makers see boost from Copenhagen
Dec 03, 2009 |
3.7 / 5 (3) |
2
In Trina Solar's brilliant white factory in eastern China, masked workers in lab coats turn silicon wafers into solar power cells capable of harnessing the sun's clean and limitless energy.
Suzaku spies treasure trove of intergalactic metal
Dec 02, 2009 |
4.7 / 5 (6) |
1
Every cook knows the ingredients for making bread: flour, water, yeast, and time. But what chemical elements are in the recipe of our universe?
NREL Uncovers Clean Energy Leaders State by State
Nov 24, 2009 |
3.4 / 5 (5) |
2
(PhysOrg.com) -- That California and Texas still lead the United States in generating renewable energy probably is no surprise. But, NREL's 2009 State of the States report shows that several smaller states ...
Harnessing the power of salt, Norway tries osmotic power
Nov 23, 2009 |
4.2 / 5 (6) |
4
After wind, sun, currents and tides, a company is preparing to make clean electricity by harnessing another natural phenomenon, the energy-unleashing encounter of freshwater and seawater.
List of search results for total solar eclipse
