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Home / Physics / Solar Eclipse

Solar Eclipse: Explained with Diagram, Types, & Frequency

Last Updated on Jan 22, 2025
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An eclipse is a natural phenomenon that occurs due to obstruction caused either by the Sun or the Moon. Accordingly, there may be a Solar or Lunar Eclipse. A Solar Eclipse is a spectacular sight and an astronomical event. Its visibility is limited to only a small area on Earth where the Moon’s shadow falls. The closer we are to the centre of the shadow’s path, the bigger the eclipse looks.

In this physics article, we will study about the Solar Eclipse and its types in detail.

Solar Eclipse

Solar Eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun thus obscuring the Earth’s view of the Sun. There may be a partial or total blockage. This type of alignment coincides with a new moon, which indicates that the Moon is closest to the plane of the Earth’s orbit.

The above image is an actual image of the Sun during a solar eclipse.

The shadow of the moon is not big enough to engulf the entire planet, so the shadow is limited to a certain area. This area changes during the course of the eclipse because the Moon and Earth are always in constant motion. The Earth continuously rotates around its own axis while it orbits the Sun, and the Moon orbits Earth. This is why solar eclipse seems to travel from one place to another.

In the above image, we can see how the showdown of the moon is formed due to the Sun on the Earth creating a dark zone. This occurs only for a few minutes due to the movement of all the celestial bodies.

Types of Solar Eclipse

There are four different types of Solar Eclipse depending on the alignment of the Sun, the Moon and the Earth. They are listed below.

Annular Solar Eclipse

It takes place when the Moon’s disk is not big enough to cover the entire Sun, and the Sun’s outer edges remain visible like a ring of fire in the sky. It is thus also called the Ring Solar Eclipse. It takes place when the Moon is near apogee and the Moon’s antumbra falls on Earth.

Total Solar Eclipse

It happens when the Moon completely covers the Sun. It can only take place when the Moon is near perigee which is the point of the Moon’s orbit closest to Earth. We can only see a total solar eclipse if we are in the path where the Moon casts its darkest shadow, the umbra.

Partial Solar Eclipse

It occurs when the Moon partially obscures the Sun’s disk and casts only its penumbra on Earth.

Hybrid Solar Eclipse

It occurs when the same eclipse changes from an annular to a total solar eclipse, and/or vice versa, along the eclipse’s path. It is also known as annular-total eclipses, and are the rarest type.

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Solar Eclipse Occurrence & Frequency

A solar eclipse, especially a total one, can be seen from a limited part of Earth. It occurs 2 to 5 times a year, five being exceptional. The last time five solar eclipses occurred was in 1935, and there will not be five again till 2206. The average number of solar eclipses in a century is 66 for Earth as a whole. At any point on Earth, no more than one total solar eclipse is seen in three to four centuries.

A total solar eclipse’s maximum duration of totality is only 71/2 minutes. This is due to the fact the Sun’s 864,000-mile diameter is fully 400 times greater than that of the Moon, which measures just about 2,160 miles. But the Moon also happens to be about 400 times closer to Earth than the Sun. As a result, when the orbital planes intersect and the distances align favourably, the Moon becomes bigger than the apparent size of the Sun, but not enough to cover it completely as it still remains smaller than the size of the Earth. This results in such a short duration of the solar eclipse.

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Solar Eclipse FAQs

During a solar eclipse, it gets dimmer and dimmer outside as more and more of the Sun is covered by the Moon.

Solar Eclipse is a natural phenomenon that occurs when the Moon comes in between the sun and the Earth, thus blocking the sun and preventing any sunlight from reaching us.

Exposure of our eyes to the sun without proper eye protection during a solar eclipse can cause eclipse blindness or retinal burns. This is also known as solar retinopathy.

Humans get affected by Solar Eclipse if they stare at it directly without any protection.

Yes, we can sleep during a solar eclipse.
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