Solar Eclipse 2020: Details and Intriguing Tidbits
A solar eclipse is a fascinating astronomical event that occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth, blocking all or part of the Sun's light from reaching the Earth. This alignment happens only during a new moon phase.
The solar eclipse of June 21, 2020, is an annular solar eclipse, primarily visible in large parts of Africa and Asia. This type of solar eclipse occurs when the Moon covers the Sun's center but appears smaller than the Sun in the sky due to its distance from Earth, resulting in a bright ring, called an annulus, around the Moon's silhouette.
Total solar eclipses confuse both plants and animals, with birds often flying back to their nests and tree leaves drooping. In contrast, during an annular eclipse, the sun and the moon seem almost the same size, as the sun is 400 times bigger than the moon but is also 400 times further away.
The total eclipse duration of the solar eclipse on June 21, 2020, is about 6 hours and 15 minutes, starting at 03:45:58 UTC and ending at 09:34:01 UTC. The annular eclipse can be observed in cities such as Impfondo (Congo), Ethiopia, Yemen, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sind (Pakistan), Gharsana (Rajasthan, India), and Xiamen and Fujian (China), among others.
Solar eclipses can be safely viewed using eclipse glasses, welder's glass #14 or darker, commercial solar filters, pinhole projection, or by viewing from local astronomy clubs or planetariums. Optical instruments can also be used to view a solar eclipse, but only with a solar filter.
For those unable to witness the eclipse directly, popular channels will broadcast the eclipse live. It's essential to remember that solar eclipses do not occur frequently due to the orbital planes of Earth and the Moon being tilted.
The next solar eclipse is scheduled for December 14, 2020, but details about it were not provided in the given paragraph. The eclipse shadow can travel at high speeds, close to the equator they can go at 1,100 mph while at the poles they can race at 5,000 mph. The path of totality can be as wide as 269 miles and sweep a total distance of over 10,000 miles in one total eclipse.
Throughout history, solar eclipses have been associated with various cultural beliefs. For instance, the ancient Chinese believed that the sun was eaten up by a dragon during a total solar eclipse, and it was their tradition to bang drums and pots to scare off the dragon. In about 600 million years, the moon will be so far away that there will be no more total solar eclipses.
In conclusion, the solar eclipse of June 21, 2020, is a unique opportunity to witness this celestial spectacle. By taking necessary precautions and observing from safe locations, we can enjoy this awe-inspiring event.
Parenting tip: Explaining astronomical events like solar eclipses can spark curiosity in children about science, space-and-astronomy. Discussing the solar eclipse of June 21, 2020, may help educate children about the weather patterns that can occur during such events, affecting animals and plants.
