Solar eclipses
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of Earth, totally or partially. Unlike lunar eclipses, solar eclipses can only be seen from a relatively small area of Earth. There are three main types: total eclipses where the Moon completely blocks the Sun, annular eclipses where the Moon appears slightly smaller, and partial eclipses where it only partially obscures the Sun. Solar eclipses matter because they allow astronomers to observe the Sun's corona, the faint outer atmosphere normally hidden by the Sun's bright light. Special eye protection is essential when viewing them, as looking directly at the Sun can cause permanent eye damage.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org: “A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of Earth, totally or partially.”
- en.wikipedia.org: “Unlike a lunar eclipse, which may be viewed from anywhere on the night side of Earth, a solar eclipse can only be viewed from a relatively small area of the world.”
- en.wikipedia.org: “A total eclipse occurs on average every 18 months when the dark silhouette of the Moon completely obscures the bright light of the Sun, allowing the much fainter solar corona to be visible.”
- en.wikipedia.org: “Looking directly at the Sun can lead to permanent eye damage, so special eye protection or indirect viewing techniques are needed by anyone viewing a solar eclipse outside of the total phase, which is safe to view without protection.”