It will be visible in the US on Monday. It will appear in a strip running from Texas to New York, in areas inhabited by over 31 million Americans. As Dr. Przemysław Mróz of the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Warsaw explains to us, such a phenomenon occurs when the Earth, the Moon and the Sun align almost exactly in the same line. Although the Moon is actually much smaller than the Sun, eclipses are possible because our natural satellite is much closer to our planet. Both of these Earth objects are similar in size in the sky. The Moon is even slightly larger, so when it lines up with the Sun, it covers it and it becomes dark for a few minutes.
But if the Moon orbits the Earth every 27 days, why doesn’t it come between us and the Sun every month, and why don’t eclipses occur every month? – This is because the Moon’s orbit around the Earth is slightly tilted relative to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. So it won’t be the case that we will see an eclipse every month, for this the right conditions must occur. These celestial bodies must align perfectly, says Dr. Mróz.
Solar eclipse in the USA visible only in a narrow band. Poland was not lucky
The final piece of the puzzle that allows us to observe a solar eclipse is our location on Earth. – It is true that total solar eclipses are visible only from a narrow strip on the Earth’s surface. The width of this belt is a maximum of 270 km and cannot be greater, which results simply from the laws of physics and mathematics: the size of the Earth, the Sun and their geometry – explains the astronomer. However, Monday’s eclipse will not cover the maximum possible width and at its widest point its belt will be approximately 203 km. The length of the eclipse belt reaches up to several thousand kilometers.
– The eclipse will begin in the Pacific Ocean and the Moon’s shadow will move toward the northeast. So first the eclipse will be visible in Mexico, then in the US, then in Canada and will end somewhere in the North Atlantic. A total eclipse will be visible in this region, i.e. the Moon will cover the entire face of the Sun – says Dr. Mróz.
– A much larger area of the Earth will be able to observe a partial eclipse, which will cover almost all of North America, except Alaska. They will also be visible from the Caribbean, partly from the islands in the Pacific, from Hawaii and from Iceland – notes the astronomer. Unfortunately, in Poland we will not have a chance to observe it at all, even partially. We will have to wait over 100 years for a total eclipse over our country.
However, surprisingly, eclipses happen relatively often. Full ones on average once every 18 months, and partial ones – even several times a year. So why is this such a big deal?
Because a total solar eclipse is only visible from a narrow band, we can only observe it once every few hundred years in a given place on Earth.
– explains Dr. Mróz.
It is such an epochal event that during the previous eclipse in 2017 in the US, as many as 20 million people traveled to watch it. This year, millions of people can also be expected to go to observe the eclipse. This is best evidenced by the booked accommodation and the map that coincides with the eclipse belt, as you can read about in the article below:
In the United States, the previous total eclipse was visible in 2017, now we have another one, and in 2044 Americans will be able to observe it again. Poland, however, has to wait over a century for this phenomenon. So does this mean that eclipses are more common in certain regions of the world?
– Eclipses do not happen more often in a given region, on a long time scale eclipses occur evenly across the Earth from time to time. We don’t know any places where they would occur more often. However, since 3/4 of the Earth’s surface is covered with oceans, statistically speaking we are less likely to observe them from where we live. Eclipses naturally occur more often in areas covered with water and rather uninhabited. This is also the case here, because a large part of the eclipse belt falls on the Pacific – explains Dr. Mróz.
An eclipse is uneven. Scientists with a unique opportunity
Total eclipses can be different from each other. This time we have hit a period when the Moon will be extremely close to the Earth, so it will be slightly larger than usual. – This is because the Moon’s orbit around the Earth is not a perfect circle, but an elongated ellipse. And once a month the Moon is closest to the Earth (at perigee), and once a month it is at its farthest point (apogee), says the astronomer. The difference in the size of our natural satellite between these points is about 10%. This time we can count on a 5% larger Moon. than usual, and this also translates into the time of the eclipse.
– Monday’s eclipse will occur close to the Moon’s perigee, which is the place in the orbit where the Moon is closest to the Earth. Therefore, the eclipse will be longer than average. The maximum length of the total eclipse phase will be 4 minutes 28 seconds. The longest eclipse will be visible from Mexico and Texas, i.e. from the southwestern states. In other places, the eclipse will last from 3.5 to 4 minutes, says Dr. Mróz.
An eclipse is accompanied by a decrease in temperature due to the lack of light. It can be felt because the air will be even 1-2 degrees Celsius cooler. Of course, it also gets dark, which means that animals react to the eclipse, for which it is a signal, for example, to sleep. – During these few minutes, nature goes crazy – says Dr. Mróz.
A solar eclipse is also an opportunity to observe the brightest stars and planets that are not normally visible in the sky because they are lost in the sun’s glare. This year, bright Venus, Jupiter and other planets will be visible near the Sun
– informs our interlocutor.
We, however, should not expect any electronic disruptions. The only potential effect that people may feel is – apart from a few minutes of darkness – reduced efficiency of solar power plants in the eclipse belt. – However, it will be so short that it should not have any significant consequences – says Dr. Mróz.
For astronomers, it is also an opportunity for unusual observations. Eclipses use the sun’s outer layer of the atmosphere, the so-called corona, to study it.
– This is a layer of the Sun that is normally very difficult to observe. It is usually difficult to notice because it is drowned in the brightness of the Sun. The corona is still poorly studied, and the big mystery is why its temperature is so much higher than the temperature of the Sun’s surface. This year, plane flights are even planned during the eclipse, during which the Sun’s corona will be examined. Additionally, the Sun is currently at maximum activity, so there are a lot of flares and violent phenomena taking place on the surface of our star. So we expect that the solar corona should be larger than usual. Monday’s eclipse will be an opportunity to conduct scientific research, summarizes Dr. Przemysław Mróz.
Source: Gazeta
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