Questions tagged [eclipse]
81 questions
64
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4 answers
Why does the sun have to be nearly fully covered to notice any darkening in an eclipse?
I was looking at eclipse footage and I noticed that it doesn't get any noticeably darker until the very end when it suddenly all the light is gone. As the moon blocks out the Sun, I would expect that the brightness would gradually decrease as less…
Giulio Crisanti
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Why aren't 100% UV blocked sunglasses safe to view an eclipse with?
I am not planning on staring into the sun during an eclipse or any other time.
I have been reading about how no variety of regular sunglasses are safe enough to view the eclipse with. I'm not talking about being able to see things clearly, but just…
Jeff
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Why is a new moon not the same as a solar eclipse?
Forgive the elementary nature of this question:
Because a new moon occurs when the moon is positioned between the earth and sun, doesn't this also mean that somewhere on the Earth, a solar eclipse (or partial eclipse) is happening?
What, then, is…
JYelton
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21
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3 answers
Why is it so dark during a solar eclipse?
At a total solar eclipse the sun is barely covered, like right after sunset. So why is it much darker than right after sunset (which allows us to see the corona)?
George Lee
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18
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What is a simple argument to prove that the stars in the sky are farther away than the Moon from the Earth?
How do we know, without using modern equipment, that the stars are further away than the moon in the night sky? Further, is there a simple and actionable argument to prove that this is indeed the case? Additionally, I would like to know how people…
kbakshi314
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13
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7 answers
How different is a 99.5% eclipse from a total eclipse?
There is a total solar eclipse happening in North America in early April. People will be travelling long distances to see it, and towns near where I live are warning residents to buy gasoline in advance so they won't need to go out on the day (due…
Kate Gregory
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0 answers
Strange things about new moon
I have some strange and infantile questions about new moon. I want to know how is it possible that the Moon is not visible at night and also at day it is not Sun eclipse?
I will explain the problem in a few images.
With these images, how it is…
Firzen
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11
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1 answer
Why did the june 2011 lunar eclipse last so long?
It was kind of hard to miss the lunar eclipse this week, although I didn't see it in person (Sod's law means that on every relatively major astronomical event clouds cover where I am). From what I understand it lasted about 100 minutes. I work that…
Jonathan.
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11
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1 answer
Eclipse of the sun - Intriguing luminosity curve
I've just recorded the luminosity during the sun eclipse, here is the resulting curve :
Only green curve is relevant, blue curve should be ignored (it's actually the temperature).
The sky was uniformly cloudy, so even if I couldn't see the eclipse…
Harijoe
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10
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Proof/explanation that Sun is bigger and more distant from Earth than Moon is, Middle Age technology allowed only
If I was living in the Middle Ages, how can someone prove or at least explain to me in a simple way that the Sun is bigger and more far from Earth than the Moon?
Can a parallax be used for…
Jane N.
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10
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2 answers
Why don't we see solar and lunar eclipses often?
Since we see the new moon at least once in a month when the Moon gets in between of the Sun and the Earth during the evening ( and as far as I know if this happens during the day, you'll get to see a solar eclipse. Why don't we get to see this often…
user102421
- 103
9
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2 answers
Why are solar eclipses more common in the southern hemisphere?
I've seen the claim that solar eclipses on Earth are more common in the southern hemisphere than the northern hemisphere and would like to understand why and if that is the case? Does it relate more to the position of the moon relative to the earth…
WilliamKF
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9
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How can the date of lunar eclipses be calculated by hand?
How can the date of lunar eclipses be calculated? Especially without the aid of a computer.
Stuart Woodward
8
votes
2 answers
Where to find Lunar Eclipse data
I am wondering whether there's a good resource to find data about upcoming Lunar Eclipses.
For example, showing the percentage of the eclipse over time. Such as: 17:23 GMT - 0%, 17:40 GMT - 10%, etc.
yogi_bear
8
votes
2 answers
In what ways can a lunar eclipse occur?
In what ways can a lunar eclipse occur?
Also, on what percentage of the Earth are they usually viewable?
I am aware that there are multiple configurations that constitute a lunar eclipse (umbral, penumbral, partial) and would like more information…
acmshar