On Thursday, the countries across the Northern Hemisphere gets to witness a solar eclipse.
This specific event is termed as an annual eclipse. During the eclipse, the moon moved across the sun but does not totally block out the light coming from it.
Still, there will be a bit silver of brilliance left to shine around the sun’s circle.
The best place from where this beautiful event can be seen is the Arctic. Although not many people live there, still a good portion of the globe will get to observe it.
Except for the Arctic, other parts of the Northern Hemisphere might get to see a partial eclipse. In this event, the Moon appears to take a big bite out of the sun.
This includes the eastern United States and northern Alaska, along with much of Canada, Greenland, and parts of Europe and Asia.
In the UK, the most favourable place to watch, in terms of the percentage of the Sun’s disc that gets covered up, will be in Scotland – somewhere like Lerwick in the Shetland Islands (11:27 BST), or Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis (11:18 BST).
These places will witness about 40% of the Sun eclipsed.
Places in the south, like London (11:13 BST) for example, 20% of the sun will be covered by the moon.
Furthermore, it is advised not to try to look at the Sun with the naked eye. This can cause severe damage.
If you wish to see skywards, do so with the help of protective viewing equipment, such as approved eclipse glasses or a pinhole projector.
It is better if you attend an organised event. Local astronomy clubs will be available to show people how to view the eclipse safely.
The place which enjoys the greatest duration eclipse – almost four minutes in length – is in the middle of the Nares Strait. It is the narrow channel that divides the Canadian archipelago from Greenland.
Science behind
Every eclipse cannot be total. The Moon’s orbit around the Earth is not perfectly round.
Hence, the satellite’s distance from the planet varies from about 356,500km to 406,700km (221,500 to 252,700 miles).
Because of this, the Moon’s apparent size in the sky is fluctuated by about 13%.
If the Moon happens to eclipse the Sun on the near side of its orbit, it totally blocks out the star (a total eclipse).
But if it’s the other way around, that too on the far side of its orbit, like now, the satellite will not be able to completely obscure the star’s disc.
And we will get to experience a “ring of fire” or annulus of sunlight is seen.
“An eclipse gives us an opportunity to connect with the Sun,” said Prof Lucie Green from the UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory.
