Mar 6, 2025
A solar eclipse is a stunning celestial event where the Moon moves between the Earth and the Sun, briefly darkening the sky. These rare occurrences have amazed civilisations for centuries, inspiring myths, scientific breakthroughs, and unforgettable astronomical sights.
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Although a total solar eclipse is rare in any one location, they happen somewhere on Earth approximately every 18 months. Different types of solar eclipses—total, annular, partial, and hybrid—can be observed more frequently if you are willing to travel to the right places.
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A total solar eclipse occurs because the Moon is about 400 times smaller than the Sun but also 400 times closer to Earth. This perfect alignment allows the Moon to completely cover the Sun, revealing the stunning solar corona.
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The Moon is slowly drifting away from Earth at a rate of about 3.8 cm per year. In around 600 million years, it will be too far to fully cover the Sun, meaning total solar eclipses will no longer be visible from Earth.
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Ancient cultures often viewed solar eclipses as bad omens. The Babylonians and Chinese believed they foretold disasters, while the Vikings thought a cosmic wolf was devouring the Sun, inspiring fear and rituals to bring back daylight.
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Just before and after totality, strange, wavy shadow bands appear on the ground. These shifting light patterns are caused by the Earth’s atmosphere distorting the last rays of sunlight, creating an eerie and beautiful effect.
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During a solar eclipse, animals often behave as if night has suddenly fallen. Birds stop singing, crickets chirp, and nocturnal creatures emerge, confused by the sudden darkness. Once the Sun reappears, they quickly return to their usual routines.
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A total solar eclipse can last up to 7 minutes and 32 seconds, though most are shorter. The longest eclipse of the 21st century occurred on 22 July 2009, lasting 6 minutes and 39 seconds, visible across parts of Asia and the Pacific Ocean.
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An annular eclipse occurs when the Moon is too far from Earth to completely cover the Sun, leaving a glowing ring, or ‘ring of fire,’ around its edges. This stunning sight happens when the Moon is at a farther point in its elliptical orbit.
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During the 1919 solar eclipse, scientists confirmed Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity by observing that the Sun’s gravity bent the light from distant stars. This groundbreaking discovery changed our understanding of space and time.
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