As the moon orbits the earth, it is sometimes in a direct line between the earth and the sun The moon's shadow falls on the earth's surface and a solar eclipse occurs
The total or partial obscuration of the Sun by the Moon A solar eclipse occurs at a given point on the surface of the Earth once every 360 years, on average Each year at least two and no more than five solar eclipses occur The Moon's shadow moves east across the surface of the Earth at about 3700 km per hour Solar eclipses can be partial, annular, or total Total solar eclipses are spectacular sights and are worth the effort usually required to journey to a site covered by their narrow path Totality cannot last for more than about seven minutes Only during a total solar eclipse is the remarkable solar corona visible
A phenomenon that occurs when the Earth passes into the shadow of the Moon A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is close enough to completely block the Sun's light An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is farther away and is not able to completely block the light This results in a ring of light around the Moon
An eclipse of the sun occurs when the moon is in a direct line between the sun and the earth, casting some of the earth's surface in its shadow The moon's disk shaped outline appears to cover the sun's brighter surface, or photosphere That part of the earth that is directly in the moon's shadow will see a total eclipse of the sun, while the areas around it will see a partial eclipse
An arrangement (in order) of the Earth, Moon, and Sun where the Moon blocks the light from the Sun to an observer on Earth The Moon's shadow does not completely contain the Earth Only a narrow shadow cone of totality sweeps across the Earth's surface (umbra) surrounded by a partial shadow (penumbra) The solar eclipse alignment of Earth, Moon and Sun does not occur every month, because the Moon's orbit is tilted five degrees from a plane containing the Earth and Sun
Sol = [Latin] Sun; eclipsis = [Latin] eclipse, from ekleipsis, ekleipoo = [Greek] be delayed A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon covers the Sun in the sky Solar eclipses are fairly rare A picture of the Sun's corona taken during a solar eclipse can be seen on the Evans Facility Pictures page
the passage of the new Moon directly between the Sun and the Earth when the Moon's shadow is cast upon the Earth The Sun appears in the sky either partially or totally covered by the Moon