A spectacular event is about to unfold on the night of April 9: a total solar eclipse. During this phenomenon, the Moon will pass in front of the Sun, completely blocking its light. This captivating event will occur between 9:13 PM IST on April 9 and 2:22 AM IST on April 10. However, only certain parts of the world will be fortunate enough to witness it, including regions in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
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| (Image: Google) |
The map above highlights where the total solar eclipse will be visible. The outermost red line indicates the areas where the Moon will partially cover the Sun's disc. Inside, you'll find lines depicting different stages of coverage: 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80%. The thick red line at the center represents the path where the total solar eclipse will be visible.
Due to the Moon's smaller size, its shadow on Earth spans only a few hundred kilometers. This means that only a specific area on our planet will fall under the thickest part of the Moon's shadow during the eclipse, allowing for visibility.
But why don't solar eclipses occur more frequently? The answer lies in the alignment of the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Solar eclipses happen when these three celestial bodies align perfectly. If the Moon orbited the Earth in the same plane as the Earth orbits the Sun, we would experience eclipses about ten times a month. However, the Moon's orbit is slightly tilted, about 5 degrees apart from Earth's orbit around the Sun, making such alignments rare occurrences.
