subject 09

solar eclipse

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes in front of the Sun as seen from Earth, and can happen only at new Moon. During a total eclipse the Sun’s corona can be seen. A total solar eclipse can last up to 7.5 minutes. When the Moon is at its farthest from the Earth it does not completely cover the face of the Sun, leaving a ring of sunlight visible. This is an annular eclipse. Between two and five solar eclipses occur each year but each is visible only from a specific area. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes into the shadow of the Earth, becoming dim until emerging from the shadow. Lunar eclipses may be partial or total, and they can happen only at full Moon. Total lunar eclipses last up to 100 minutes; the maximum number each year is three.
A total solar eclipse visible from southwestern England took place on 11 August 1999 and lasted for two minutes. This was the first total solar eclipse to be visible from the UK since 1927, the next will be in 2090