Solar Eclipse Deepsikhanwala Fdk

Solar Eclipse, partial or total obscuring of the sun by the moon, with a resultant shadow cast upon the earth. Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2005 © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon is between the sun and the earth and its shadow moves across the face of the earth. Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2005 © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Total Solar Eclipse During a solar eclipse, the moon moves between the sun and the earth. The light from the outer part of the sun’s atmosphere, called the corona, became visible during a total solar eclipse on July 11, 1991, in La Paz, Baja California, Mexico. The moon’s shadow on earth appeared only as a thin band not more than 269 km (167 mi) wide.Photo Researchers, Inc./Francois Gohier Many problems of astronomy can be studied only during a total eclipse of the sun. Among these problems are the size and composition of the solar corona and the bending of light rays passing close to the sun because of the sun’s gravitational field (see Relativity). The great brilliance of the solar disk and the sun-induced brightening of the earth’s atmosphere make observations of the corona and nearby stars impossible except during a solar eclipse. The coronagraph, a photographic telescope, permits direct observation of the edge of the solar disk at all times. Today, scientific solar eclipse observations are extremely valuable, particularly when the path of the eclipse traverses large land areas. An elaborate network of special observatories may provide enough data for months of analysis by scientists. Such data may provide information on how minute variations in the sun affect weather on earth, and how scientists can improve predictions of solar flares. further reading These sources provide additional information on Eclipse. See also Astronomy.

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