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When the moon passes between the sun and Earth for the second time this year, it will block most of the sunlight and cast its shadow on our planet, resulting in a bright, fiery crescent shape in the sky.
This solar eclipse will occur this Tuesday and will be visible in parts of Greenland, Iceland, most of Europe, northeast Africa, and western and central Asia. It will last nearly four hours starting at 5 am ET, or until most of the afternoon for those in the Eastern Hemisphere.
Since the sun, moon, and Earth will not be perfectly aligned, it will be a partial eclipse, hence the crescent shape of the sunlight, which will appear to peek out from under the moon. In the maximum eclipse, where there will be greater solar coverage, approximately 86% of the sun will be covered, according to earth sky
The moon will be almost four days from its perigee, its closest point to Earth in its 27-day orbit, during the eclipse and will therefore appear slightly larger than usual.
Those who can see the eclipse near the maximum will be able to see a crescent-shaped sun pointing upwards, almost as if it has been bitten into, according to Michael Kirk, the principal investigator of NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team.
“When you go out and see a solar eclipse, whether it’s a partial eclipse or a total eclipse, which are really special, you end up feeling part of this whole celestial dance between the Earth and the sun and the moon. Kirk said. “And it gives you a sense of place… this is where you are in the solar system, which is so vast.”
It is not safe to look at the sun’s rays without protective glasses, even when the moon covers most of the sun. It is important to wear eye protection that meets international standards to be considered suitable “eclipse goggles,” according to the American Astronomical Society.
It is also not advisable to look at the sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or other optical device, even with the proper glasses.
A solar eclipse always occurs about two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse, when the full moon enters Earth’s shadow, giving the moon a reddish hue. This is due to the location of the sun, moon, and Earth, which are almost in a flat plane but have a wobble in their orbit. a solar eclipse occurs when the sun, moon, and earth are aligned, with the moon in a new moon phase; Within two weeks, the sun, Earth, and full moon will align with Earth and the moon, changing places in their orbit and causing a lunar eclipse, according to Kirk.
This next partial solar eclipse will be followed by a full moon total lunar eclipse exactly two weeks later on November 1. 8, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Unlike a solar eclipse, which is only visible from a relatively small area of the world, a lunar eclipse can be seen from anywhere on the night side of the Earth.
Also, unlike a solar eclipse, viewing a lunar eclipse does not require any safety equipment.
The next chance to see a solar eclipse won’t be until April 20, 2023, when there will be an annular solar eclipse visible from Australia, Antarctica, and Southeast Asia. according to NASA, and will cause a complete ring of fire surrounding the moon.
“This partial eclipse is really a preview of next year,” Kirk said. “We’re looking at this one to really prepare and recharge, and get the word out about the annular eclipse.”
While this partial solar eclipse and total lunar eclipse will be the last to be seen for the remainder of 2022, there are other space events to watch for in the sky this year. Two more full moons will fall on November 8 (the beaver moon) and December 7 (the cold moon), and there are also five more meteor showers on the calendar, according to EarthSky’s 2022 Meteor Shower Guide:
• November 5: Southern Taurids
• November 12: Northern Taurids
• November 18: Leonidas
• December 14: Geminids
• December 22: Ursids
