Solar Eclipses

A solar eclipse occurs when a new Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun, perfectly lining up to cast a shadow on Earth.

During a solar eclipse, the new Moon intersects the ecliptic, an imaginary plane in which the Earth orbits around the Sun. As a result, the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth are lined up in this same plane.

The Moon’s shadow during an eclipse has two parts: the umbra, which is the darkest inner shadow where the sunlight is completely blocked, and the penumbra, the lighter outer shadow where the sunlight is only partially obscured.

If you’re standing in the umbra, you’ll experience a total solar eclipse, where the Sun is fully hidden. But you can see the sun’s corona during this time.

If you are standing in the penumbra, you’ll see a partial solar eclipse, with only part of the Sun covered.

Since the Earth moves quickly and the Moon’s shadow covers only a small area of Earth, Solar eclipses only last for a few minutes.