Total Solar Eclipse

Today Nature unveils its celestial spectacle, join us on a journey as we witness the celestial marvel of a total solar eclipse, that unites the earth in a moment of breathtaking beauty.

An eclipse is an astronomical event in which an astronomical object or spacecraft becomes temporarily covered by passing into the shadow of another body or having another body pass between it and the viewer. In simple terms, when usually 2 or more celestial objects line up in front of each other casting shadow on either object can be termed as an eclipse.

These are caused by either an occultation (totally hidden) or a transit (partially hidden). A “deep eclipse” (or “deep occultation”) occurs when a smaller astronomical object passes behind a larger one.

There are 2 types of eclipses: Solar and Lunar eclipse

A Lunar eclipse results from the moon moving through the shadow cast by Earth. Since two celestial bodies must line up for these phenomena to occur, it occurs somewhat frequently. When it occurs, the half of Earth that is able to see the moon at night can witness the phenomena.

Whereas, when the moon “eclipses” the sun, a Solar eclipse happens. This means that as the moon orbits the Earth, it passes in front of the sun, blocking it and preventing us from receiving any sunlight.

There are three different kinds of lunar eclipses: 

Complete/Total lunar eclipse, the umbra, or innermost region of Earth’s shadow, is where the Moon moves. The Moon is partially lit by sunlight that enters Earth’s atmosphere and travels through the atmosphere. The Moon appears redder during an eclipse when there is more dust or clouds in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Partial Lunar Eclipse, the moon only fully enters Earth’s umbra because of an incorrect arrangement of the Sun, Earth, and Moon. The shadow never completely obscures the Moon; instead, it grows and then recedes.

A penumbral eclipse occurs in the dim outer region of Earth’s shadow, known as the penumbra, and is traversed by this moon. It can be hard to observe the Moon’s minor lowering.

Similar to the Lunar eclipse, four different kinds of solar eclipses exist. 

A partial solar eclipse occurs when the moon partially blocks the sun. As a result, some of the sun is visible while the portion that is covered looks dark. The most typical kind of solar eclipse is a partial one.

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon obscures the sun just enough to leave its limbs visible. Another name for the bright, luminous ring, or “annulus,” that surrounds the sun is the “ring of fire.” The second most typical kind of eclipse is this one. 

Total solar eclipse, As the name states, this type of eclipse occurs when the moon entirely blocks the sun for a few minutes, resulting in a period of darkness. When the sun is at its brightest, the solar corona is visible, although it is normally too faint to see during this time of night. The diamond ring effect, sometimes known as “Baily’s beads,” is another effect that is visible. This is caused by the moon’s uneven surface, which lets some sunlight into our space. Sunlight can travel through these flaws (in the form of craters and valleys), giving the impression of a brilliant, sparkling diamond.

Hybrid solar eclipses, which alternate between total and annular eclipses, are the rarest type of eclipses. In a hybrid eclipse, the moon will fully hide the sun in some places on Earth (a total eclipse), while it will only partially hide the sun in other places (an annular eclipse).

This afternoon, April 8, is set to see the first solar eclipse of 2024. The eclipse will occur on April 8, 2024, at 09:12 PM Indian Standard Time, and last until April 9, 2024, at 2:22 AM. A total eclipse of the Sun will be visible from Mexico, the eastern Contiguous United States, and the southeast region of Canada when the Moon passes in front of the Sun. There won’t be an eclipse visible from India. 

Many countries will be able to see a partial eclipse, including:

If the proper tools are not used, observing the Sun can be extremely dangerous. The brightest object in the sky, the Sun, can instantly cause irreversible eye damage if one looks straight at it. Any optical device, such as binoculars or a telescope’s finder scope on the side, can be used to view it and result in temporary or permanent blindness.

Going to a public observation event is, without a doubt, the safest course of action. Special filters that can be installed on telescopes to make them safe for solar viewing are sold by several astronomy companies. Never try creating your own filter. The Sun emits enormous amounts of UV and infrared radiation in addition to visible light, which is invisible but can still harm your eyes. A DIY filter might let this invisible radiation through even if it seems to be sufficient. Purchasing a solar projection box designed for that purpose is an additional safe way to see solar eclipses. 

Have a Safe Solar Observation!!

At Space India, our mission is to inculcate Scientific Temperament, Build Capacity and make Astronomy & Space Science Education & Experiences easily accessible to every Human on Earth. SPACE periodically organizes observations during special celestial events at schools and at public places to provide a great viewing opportunity for students and the Indian community as part of a public outreach program. Such events include conjunctions when celestial objects appear close to each other.

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