Annular Solar Eclipse

Syllabus :GS1/ Geography

In News

• On October 2, an annular solar eclipse will be visible in parts of South America, while a partial solar eclipse can be seen in regions including South America, Antarctica, North America, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, including Hawaii. 

About Solar eclipses

• Solar eclipses occur when the Sun, Moon, and Earth align, causing the Moon to pass between the Sun and Earth. 
• This alignment casts a shadow on Earth, partially or fully blocking the Sun’s light in certain areas. 
• Eclipses are infrequent because the Moon’s orbit is not in the same plane as that of the Sun and Earth. 
• These alignments occur during “eclipse season,” which happens twice a year.

Types

• Total Solar Eclipse: This occurs when the Moon completely blocks the Sun as it passes between the Sun and Earth. Observers in the center of the Moon’s shadow will experience a total eclipse, where the sky darkens, and they can briefly remove their eclipse glasses to view the Sun’s corona.

• Annular Solar Eclipse: This happens when the Moon is at its farthest point from Earth, appearing smaller than the Sun and creating a “ring of fire” effect as it covers the center of the Sun. 
• Partial Solar Eclipse: In this type, the Sun, Moon, and Earth are not perfectly aligned, so only part of the Sun is obscured, giving it a crescent shape. Observers outside the path of totality or annularity will see a partial eclipse.
• Hybrid Solar Eclipse: This occurs when the eclipse shifts between total and annular due to the curvature of the Earth’s surface as the Moon’s shadow moves across the globe.

Source:IE