Shop Edmonds Elements for Unique Educational Resources, Toys and Games

Fill out your e-mail address
to receive our newsletter!
Hosting by YMLP.com
You don't want to miss The NobleEd News Webzine You'll find website recommendations, educational freebies, featured articles and contest and scholarship information.

Click here to read the latest edition

 

 

Solar Eclipse

[ Home ] [ Science Tools ] [ Astronomy ] [ Cell Theory ] [ Earth Science ] [ The Zoo ] [ Physics ] [ Chemistry ] [ The Human Skeletal System ]

Your Links for This Section

[ Home ] [ Gravity ] [ Auroras ] [ Solar Eclipse ] [ Phase of the Moon ] [ Java Jupiter ] [ Our Galaxy ] [ Astronomy News ] [ Universe Today ] [ Crossword ]

Never look directly at an eclipse. It will damage the retina of your eye.

 

About once every 18 months, the moon comes directly between the earth and the sun. A total eclipse takes place when the moon completely covers the sun and is shown in the picture to the left. When the moon hides the bright surface of the sun, it becomes dark as night during the day. The length of an eclipse can vary between a few seconds to as long as 8 minutes. Before and after a total eclipse the moon only partially blocks the sun. These partial phases of an eclipse may last for several hours.
 
A Partial Eclipse
Astronomers travel great distances to observe a total eclipse. They do this because during the eclipse they can study parts of the sun not visible at other times. The halo you see in the picture of the total eclipse is the corona. Any other time it is too faint to be seen.


 

Questions-
What is a solar eclipse?
Why do scientists study this eclipse?
What is a partial eclipse?
What is the halo of light left during a total eclipse called?