What is a total solar eclipse?
In a total solar eclipse the Moon completely blocks out the Sun, and viewers are completely in the Moon's shadow. While the Sun is blocked out, its wispy outer atmosphere, known as the corona, becomes visible.
How big an area on Earth is covered by a total solar eclipse?
A total solar eclipse is only visible from a limited area: the line traced by the Moon’s shadow, known as the path or totality, as it moves across the Earth. Typically this line is just a few tens of kilometers wide, so most people must travel to see a total solar eclipse. A much broader area surrounding the path of totality sees a partial solar eclipse.
What will you see during a total solar eclipse?
Just before the Moon completely covers the Sun, there is a moment referred to as the diamond ring, when the last rays of the Sun peek past one side of the Moon. Next you may see a sight known as Baily’s Beads, where bits of sunlight stream between mountains and canyons at the Moon's edge.
But what about totality itself? Sounding like the trailer to a horror movie, but much more impressive and considerably less dangerous: day will turn into night, birds may stop singing, sunset will appear all around you, stars and planets will become visible in the darkened sky, and the otherwise hidden solar corona will become visible as white rays streaming out from around the dark lunar disk. A total solar eclipse is truly one of nature’s most amazing sights. As you get swept away, don’t forget that once the sunlight starts appearing from around the Moon, you need eye protection to keep watching.
There is a huge difference between being in the path of totality, where the Moon blocks 100% of the Sun, versus a nearby location where the Moon blocks even 99% of the Sun. That little bit of sunlight will wipe out the more profound effects of totality.
from The Planetary Society Articles https://ift.tt/2WZKbOa
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