Thursday, October 23, 2014

A PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE THIS THURSDAY



 
A Partial Solar Eclipse this Thursday Will Turn the Sunset Into Pac-Man for the US
During the late afternoon of Oct. 23, 2014, a partial solar eclipse will be visible from much of North America before sundown.  Partial eclipses occur when the moon blocks part of the sun from view.

Throughout history, total eclipses, in which the entire sun is blocked from view, have offered scientists the chance to see the faint light of the sun's atmosphere called the corona, without its being overwhelmed by the sun itself. Total eclipses provide views of that atmosphere, which we otherwise can only get with specialized telescopes – both in space and on the ground -- that block out the bright light of the sun.  As a partial eclipse, the Oct. 23 eclipse is of less scientific interest, but it still makes for a great view!


Source and further reading:
http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/how-to-safely-watch-the-october-23-partial-solar-eclipse/index.html

Image Credit: NASA/Sinclair
corina marinescu

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