Solar Eclipse!

Happy Solar Eclipse Day!

On this day, we got to see the moon pass between the Earth and the Sun. This day saw a total solar eclipse. A total solar eclipse is when the moon completely obscures the Sun, leaving only a very faint corona visible. This type of eclipse occurs every 18 months on average. This is unlike a lunar eclipse, in which the Earth passes between the sun and moon. 

"Wait a second!" You may be asking yourself. "If this kind of eclipse happens every 18 months, why is it such a big deal?" Well, that's because of the orbits of the Moon 🌑 around the Earth 🌎 and the Earth around the Sun 🌞. You see, the Moon's orbit around the Earth, just like the Earth's around the sun, is not perfectly circular. It's elliptical. The Moon's orbit is also tilted at about 5 degrees to the Earth's. This is the reason why the Sun and Moon can appear to be different sizes in the sky. The elliptical orbits cause differences in distances between the three celestial bodies. As a result, the Moon's shadow often misses Earth. In fact, if the Moon's orbit was circular, and shared an orbital plane with Earth's, total solar eclipses would occur once a month with every new moon.

The reason why this eclipse is such a big deal is because people seeing such a solar eclipse is a bit of a rarity. It's not often that the moon's shadow passes over the Earth like this. This eclipse passed over North America, allowing it be seen in Mexico, Canada, and the United States at one time. This will be the only time in the 21st century that this will happen. Which I found annoying.

Let me explain. You see, I live in Upstate New York. I was in an area that would get a great view of the eclipse. I did get to see part of the eclipse, but the clouds conspired to prevent viewing the moon completely covering the sun. I did try to get some pictures of it, but it didn't work out. A shame, really. Maybe I'll go see the stream of it on Disney+.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! if you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!