What is a solar eclipse?
A SOLAR eclipse is one of the natural phenomena that captivate people around the world - if you're lucky enough to get to see it.
Here's what you need to know about the sensational display of light and darkness in the sky.
What is a solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse is a stunning celestial event that occurs when the Sun is blocked by the Moon – casting a shadow on the Earth.
This partial or total blockage happens when the Sun, Moon, and Earth line up.
When the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun during a new moon phase, it blocks the light and forms a shadow across the globe.
A partial solar eclipse will occur on April 30, 2022, beginning at 2.45pm EST and it will reach its maximum point at 4.41pm EST.
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But a partial solar eclipse will be visible from a few places in the Southern Hemisphere and the event is also available to watch live online.
The next solar eclipse will be visible on October 25, 2022, from across Europe, northeast Africa, the Middle East, and West Asia.
It will be a partial eclipse - meaning only a small portion of the Sun will be rendered invisible as the Moon passes in front of it.
The Moon will partly obscure the image of the Sun for viewers on Earth, creating a spectacular effect for stargazers.
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What are the different types of solar eclipses?
There are four types of solar eclipse.
Total solar eclipse
This occurs when the orbital planes align and the Moon appears to completely block out the light from the Sun.
The Sun is exactly 400 times bigger than the Moon but it's also 400 times further away from the Earth.
These are the perfect ratios for the moon to completely eclipse the sun, provided the alignment on the Earth's surface is exactly right.
When the total solar eclipse occurs – when the Sun is completely covered – the “corona” is revealed, which is the outer atmosphere of the Sun.
Partial solar eclipse
This happens when a part of the Sun is always in view, creating a penumbra or partial shadow.
A partial eclipse means the center of the Moon's shadow misses the Earth, but it still creates a spectacular effect.
The amount of sun which is obscured by the Moon depends on where the person viewing the event happens to be.
This can range from a relatively small bite-sized chunk appearing to the Sun taking on a slim crescent shape.
Annular solar eclipse
Annular solar eclipses are rare and considered a variant of a partial solar eclipse.
An annular solar eclipse appears similar to a total eclipse in that the Moon appears to pass centrally across the Sun, creating a counterfeit twilight.
The event occurs when the three objects are not quite fully aligned with the Moon being vastly smaller than the Sun, and the Sun is not completely covered.
As Space.com explains: “During such an eclipse, the antumbra, a theoretical continuation of the umbra, reaches the ground, and anyone situated within it can look up past either side of the umbra and see an annulus, or "ring of fire" around the Moon.
“A good analogy is putting a penny atop a nickel, the penny being the Moon, the nickel being the Sun.”
Hybrid solar eclipses
These are also known as annular-total ("A-T") eclipses.
They occur when the moon's distance is near its limit for the umbra to reach Earth.
An A-T eclipse usually starts as an annular eclipse due to the tip of the umbra falling just short of making contact with Earth; then it becomes total because the curvature of the planet reaches up and intercepts the shadow tip near the middle of the path, then finally it returns to annular toward the end of the path.
According to NBC News, of all solar eclipses, about 28 percent are total; 35 percent are partial; 32 percent are annular, and just five percent are hybrids.
How often are solar eclipses?
Eclipses don’t happen at every new moon.
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The number of times a solar eclipse occurs varies but usually between two and five take place each year.
On average, a total eclipse occurs somewhere on Earth about every 18 months.
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