Partial Solar Eclipse March 20th 2015 The lighter area on the Earth is what we call the Penumbra of the eclipse shaddow, in here we would see a partial eclipse The darker area is called the “Umbra” within this area we would see a total (or annular) eclipse)
When you look up in the sky our Moon apprears to be roughly the same size as our own Sun in the sky. Which enables something special to happen. One rare occasions when the Moon passes in between the Earth and the Sun we experience something called an eclipse. The type of eclipse we experience depends on the distance the Moon is from the Earth and what portion of the Sun the Moon covers from our perspective here on Earth. There are three types of solar eclipse a) Total b) Annular c) Partial (not to be confused with lunar eclipse which is another type entirely). a) Total eclipse This occurrs when the Sun is further from the Earth and the Moon is closest. At this point most bar the outer limb of the Sun is covered (eclipsed) by the Moon. This is NOT what is happening here in the United Kingdom on 20th March 2015, but still worth looking at Note: YOU MUST NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN DIRECTLY WITH OR WITHOUT AN OPTICAL INSTRUMENT UNLESS OTHERWISE DIRECTED, IT WILL BLIND YOU
Top left and right, total solar eclipse images taken by John Bell near Rouen in August 1999. Authors impression of how the Moons shadow lands on the Earth to form an eclipse Once again the lighter shaddow is the “Penumbra” and where we’d see a partial eclipse. The darker shadow is where we see totality (or annular) eclipse. From Northampton on 20th March we’ll be able to view a Partial Solar Eclipse.
Partial Eclipse This is when the Moon will pass across the surface of the Sun but only partially covering the Sun’s surface as in the picture below. This is what we can expect to see from Northamptonshire on March 20th 2015
Partial Eclipse of Sun captured by Clay Davis Los Alomos, Mexico 23rd October, 2014 (note: you would not usually see the flares of the Sun during a partial eclipse, Clay used a special telescope to capture this picture.
Annular Eclipse
Stages of an Annular Eclipse, this was taken 12th June 2012 also by Clay Davis of Los Alomos, Mexico
The conditions to this are similar for total eclipse, except in this case the Moon is not close enough to cover the Sun. Either due to use being closer to the Sun that usual or due to the Moon being further. As such even though a higher portion of the Sun is covered than in a partial eclipse we still see the outer ring of the Sun when the Moon has covered as much of the Sun as it will Observing the eclipse The eclipse over Northampton is going to be quite an amazing sight indeed as a large proportion of the Sun will be covered by the Moon as it starts at 08:26 in the morning and finishes at 10:41am. Alastair Leith will be at Delapre Abbey for those wishing to come and view it with him. He will bring free solar specs. As you would expect it will be a total eclipse in Svalbard (Norway) and the Faroe Islands.
Appromixate extent to how much of the Suns surface wil be eclipsed by the Moon as seen from Northampton. Source http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/uk/northampton?iso=20150320
Observing the Solar Eclipse safely CAUTION: NEVER OBSERVE THE SUN DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY WITH OR WITHOUT AN OPTICAL DEVICE UNLESS OTHERWISE INSTRUCTED. THE SUN CAN CAUSE IMEDIATE BLINDNESS! There are however safe ways to osberve the Sun.
Solar Glasses
If you are lucky enough to join a group of people with solar glasses or be able to obtain a pair for yourself. You can use these to observe the eclipse. Ensure they are not damaged in anyway before use. Glasses provided FREE by Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Project
Alastair Leith of AstroScience, will be at Delapre Abbey to observe the eclipse and will have some googles to hand out! He might even have his telescope too!
Welders Glasses
can also be used to observe the eclipse but please don’t rush out to buy pair just for this!
Piece of Card
Using a needle, pierce a hole and use that to project an image of the sun onto the ground or a wall to view the progress of the eclipse.
Solar Projection using a refracting telescope
Again do NOT view the Sun directly with the telescope, but you can project the Suns image through the telescope onto a white piece of paper and observe the eclipse that way too! Caution do not leave the telescope on the Sun for long periods as it could damage it.