Throughout the years, many phenomena occur in nature and, in general, it is a subject that captures children's attention and raises questions about why and how they occur.
First, it is essential to define the eclipse to understand the other elements that influence the occurrence of this phenomenon. An eclipse is when a celestial body is hidden by the superposition of another celestial body, that is, it covers it directly or obstructs the light that illuminates it for a short period of time since the stars continue to move.
Many times this concealment can be total or partial.
Now, knowing what an eclipse means, it is important to keep in mind the definition of:
Light is the basic component of these phenomena, this being a form of electromagnetic energy.
The Shadowis when the light illuminates an opaque body and a shadow with its same form is produced. To better understand, when we project our shadow on the wall product of the exposure of the light that is present.
And finally, the movementsthat refer to the basic movements of the Earth, such as the movement of rotation, when the Earth revolves around its axis in a west-east direction and is the main author of the days and nights. While, in the movement of the translation, is when the Earth revolves around the sun stimulated by gravity. It is said that to complete this trip, the Earth invests 365 days and a quarter. Both movements create important effects in the mechanism of eclipses.
Classes of Eclipses
Eclipses can be Sun or Moon, depending on which star is hidden.
The eclipse of the Sun occurs when the Moon interferes between the Sun and the Earth, and, in turn, a shadow is projected that sweeps the surface of the planet. This type of eclipse can be presented as follows:
Annular Eclipse: It is observed that the black disk of the Moon appears surrounded by a bright ring.
Partial Eclipse: In this type of eclipse, the Sun's disk is partially observed.
Total Eclipse: The Moon hides the Sun completely and you see the outer part of the Sun.
Now, the Eclipse of Luna occurs when the Earth illuminated by the Sun casts its shadow on the surface of the Moon and then hides it. For a lunar eclipse to occur, the moon must be in the full Moon phase. They may be:
Partial Eclipse: occurs when the shadow of the Earth only partially hides the Moon.
Total Eclipse: the shadow that the Earth projects completely hides the Moon.
For an eclipse to occur, the Sun, Earth, and Moon must be aligned, a fact that occurs at certain times, which astronomers can predict in advance.
In a year there may be a minimum of two and a maximum of seven eclipses; in the event that two occur, they will be from Sol and when seven occur, five will be from Sol and two from Luna.
Since these astronomical events can be predicted, it is important to take precautions, since to observe an eclipse of the Sun, you should never look at the Sun directly, but through special materials that protect the eyes from burns, such as smoked crystals or solder, Otherwise, it can damage the eyes.
The duration of the Eclipses
The duration of a total solar eclipse is very short, from a few seconds to a maximum of 7.30 minutes, however, the total eclipses of the moon can last up to 3 hours.
It is transcendental to instruct and inform children about these phenomena, because it is a sight that is worth observing, promoting the approach towards Astronomy and then awakening curiosity about science.
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://lmrey.ga/2018/07/24/when-the-sun-and-the-moon-are-hidden-the-eclipses/