Solar Eclipse is one of those once in a lifetime phenomena that you can observe. Last week, on June 6, 2020, we observed the lunar eclipse. Commonly termed as the Strawberry Moon eclipse, it went for a duration of around 3 hours. It was not a total lunar eclipse, but a penumbral one. However, this is not the same for the upcoming solar event.
2020 will witness the year’s first complete ‘Solar eclipse’ which is an auspicious event for a few religions. The last complete eclipse for the sun took place on July 2, 2019. This year the event date almost feels like an annual event. In accordance with the solstice events, it may be a yearly event. The solar eclipse takes place when the Earth, Sun, and Moon align in the same plane. The alignment is closest to the “ecliptic plane”.
If you can, see a total solar eclipse. I saw one in Tennessee during August 2017 (hot). The eclipse started at 1pm, air temperature began to fall, insects & birds normally active in the evening started making sounds – loudly. My jaw dropped at the black/white contrast of totality pic.twitter.com/XM5DnC6lpw
— Dr James O'Donoghue (@physicsJ) June 13, 2020
First Annular Solar Eclipse of 2020
This year you will be able to see the ring effect which was last seen in August of 2017. The annular eclipse occurs when the moon is not able to completely engulf the Sun. This gives rise to a bright ring effect called the “annulus”. The eclipse is even more important because it will take place on Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year.
The last recorded event in August of 2017 can send goosebumps down the spine. The skies become calmer than anything else. Insects and animals start howling and making sounds as everyone witnesses the magnificence of nature. According to Timeanddate, the Solar Eclipse will begin at 91.5 am on June 21 and continue till 3:04 pm. According to NASA, you will need to wear solar eclipse glasses at all times while watching this unique phenomenon and attempts to photograph it will require a special solar filter.
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Suryapratim Ray is an engineer, author, robotics hobbyist, and an active Quoran. Being a technical blogger, he covers the good, bad, and ugly of science on a regular basis at Sciencenews18. In addition to his passion for writing, he’s equally keen on learning classical music.