Total Eclipse Definition
A total eclipse occurs when Earth or the Moon blocks Sun's light fully. For example, during a solar eclipse, the Moon covers the Sun, casting shadow on Earth.
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Solar & Lunar Eclipses
Fun Facts
- During a total solar eclipse, the Sun's corona becomes visible.
- A total lunar eclipse can appear reddish, known as a Blood Moon.
- If the Moon was smaller, it would not be able to cover the entire Sun during a total solar eclipse.
Why Do We Need To Know About Total Eclipse
Learning about total eclipses helps us understand space better and shows why they’re important for space scientists. Eclipses help find new planets far away when these planets pass in front of their stars, making them dim a bit, which we can see from Earth. This way, scientists have found more than 2000 planets, including some that might be like Earth, such as Kepler 62F.
Also, total eclipses let scientists study the sun’s outer layer and learn more about the sun and our atmosphere. Knowing when eclipses will happen has been useful for a long time and is still important in space science, showing how studying eclipses can lead to interesting jobs and discoveries.
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