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26th October 2022 (8 Topics)

Partial solar eclipse of the year 2022

Context

A Partial solar eclipse has been seen on the western horizon shortly before the sunset on 25th October, 2022.

About

The Solar Eclipse:

  • A solar eclipse occurs when the moon “eclipses” the sun.
  • This means that the moon, as it orbits the Earth, comes in between the sun and the Earth, thereby blocking the sun and preventing any sunlight from reaching us.

There are four types of solar eclipses:

  • Partial solar eclipse: The moon blocks the sun, but only partially. As a result, some part of the sun is visible, whereas the blocked part appears dark. A partial solar eclipse is the most common type of solar eclipse.
  • Annular solar eclipseThe moon blocks out the sun in such a way that the periphery of the sun remains visible. The unobscured and glowing ring, or “annulus,” around the sun is also popularly known as the “ring of fire.” This is the second most common type of eclipse.
  • Total solar eclipse: As the word "total" suggests, the moon totally blocks out the sun for a few minutes, leading to a period of darkness -- and the resulting eclipse is called a total solar eclipse.
  • During this period of darkness, one can witness the solar corona, which is usually too dim to notice when the sun is at its full glory.
  • Also noticeable is the diamond ring effect, or "Baily's beads," which occurs when some of the sunlight is able to reach us because the moon's surface is not perfectly round. These imperfections (in the form of craters and valleys) can allow sunlight to pass through, and this appears just like a bright, shining diamond.
  • Hybrid solar eclipse: The rarest of all eclipses is a hybrid eclipse, which shifts between a total and an annular eclipse.
  • During a hybrid eclipse, some locations on Earth will witness the moon completely blocking the sun (a total eclipse), whereas other regions will observe an annular eclipse.

Lunar Eclipse vs. Solar Eclipse

  • When the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, the planet obscures the Moon's ability to reflect sunlight. The Moon's surface is then covered by Earth's shadow rather than the Sun’s light. This phenomenon is called a lunar eclipse.
  • A lunar eclipse only occurs on a full Moon.
  • Whereas, a solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves between the earth and the Sun and obscures the sunlight from reaching the planet.

Why does the Eclipse seen vary according to the Positions?

  • Since Moon is smaller as compared to the Sun and Earth, its shadow on Earth isn’t very big.
  • As a result, only some places on the planet get to witness the phenomenon. People who are on the sunny side of Earth and in the path of the moon’s shadow can see the solar eclipse, while others cannot.
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