Astrophysicists have explained how the shadow of the Moon during a solar eclipse resembles a pencil lead
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Astrophysicists have explained how the shadow of the Moon during a solar eclipse resembles a pencil lead
Specialists from the Solar X-ray Astronomy Laboratory of the Space Research Institute and the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences spoke about this phenomenon on the eve of a total solar eclipse.
Astrophysicists have reported that solar eclipses occur at least two and sometimes up to five times a year, but they are not always total. The next time it will take place is August 12, 2026.
Even if for some observers on Earth the Moon completely covers the Sun, few can observe this phenomenon by looking at the sky – the Moon’s shadow has a diameter of about 200 kilometers, while the total diameter of the Earth is about 12,700 kilometers, which “is similar in size to a pencil mark on globe”.
The width of the penumbra, where the Moon partially covers the Sun, is almost half the planet, and many have seen this phenomenon with their own eyes, the report says.
On April 8, the “pencil lead” will pass through the territories of Mexico, the USA, Canada and several islands in the Pacific Ocean.
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