One of the most rarely occurring events in nature are eclipses and a solar eclipse is one such phenomenon. The different types of solar eclipses can all be visualized differently from different areas. An eclipse of the sun happens only when the New moon comes in the straight line between the earth and the sun, which casts a shadow on some parts of the earth due to the sun rays getting blocked differentially. The moon is a smaller celestial body compared to the earth which means that the shadow casted by it would never cover up the entire area but will always be limited to specific regions. The region where the shadow is present would keep changing throughout the time when the eclipse persists as the motion of Moon and Earth keeps happening, that it, the earth keeps rotating around its axis and also keeps orbiting the sun throughout while the moon keeps on orbiting the earth. A solar eclipse is never stationary and always in motion due to these precise reasons.
Based on the extent of the of the moon’s shadow falling on the earth, the solar eclipse is classified. A partial solar eclipse can be observed when a small area of the Earth gains penumbral shadow of the moon by obscuring the sun’s disk. On the contrary, a total solar eclipse is said to take place when the moon is close to Perigee and in turn completely covers the sun. It can properly be experienced only if someone happens to be on the line where moon casts its umbral shadow. Annular solar eclipse is said to be happening when the moon does not have a big enough disk to cover the entirety of the Sun’s disk. What happens due to this is that the outer edges of the sun form a ring of fire and this type of eclipse is seem when the moon is near apogee which means the ant umbral shadow of the moon falls on earth’s surface. Annular solar eclipse, which is also called Hybrid solar eclipse, is the rarest type of eclipse which is observed. When an eclipse changes to total solar eclipse from an annular eclipse or the reverse, along the path of the eclipse, hybrid type of eclipse is said to have formed.
They are seen from the areas of the earth where the shadow of the moon is falling and increases in size if a person moves forward and is close to the centre of the path of the shadow. They are often named after the darkest point which does not hold true for hybrid eclipses only. The straight line followed by the sun, moon and earth is the sole cause of a solar eclipse and is called syzygy by astronomers, which happens during new moon period on every lunar month.
A solar eclipse is opposite to a lunar eclipse also because you can never look at it without protection. Pinhole projectors and protective eyewear help.
