Phase 5 – Fourth Contact: Fourth Contact is when the Moon leaves the disk of the Sun completely.Įven though all those phases mentioned above are great events in their own right, the most sought after phase of a solar eclipse is known as totality… What Is Totality?.Phase 4 – Third Contact: Third Contact is when the Sun re-appears after totality.It’s also been known for the temperature to fall during totality. The Moon has now completely covered the Sun and has plunged the Earth into darkness. Phase 3 – Totality: The most impressive and intense phase.Phase 2 – Second Contact: The moment when the Moon covers the entire Sun completely is known as the Second Contact.Phase 1 – First Contact: The moment when the Moon touches the Sun externally is known as First Contact.The 5 Phases Of A Solar Eclipse The 5 phases of a Solar Eclipse. The moment when the Moon touches the Sun externally is known as First Contact. The entire duration of a solar eclipse lasts more or less three hours. Partial Solar Eclipse How long does a solar eclipse last? Only a part of the Sun would be covered by the Moon, as seen from a limited region on the Earth.Įven central eclipses outside of the path of totality or annularity would appear as partial eclipses. It is also known as a non-central eclipse. This type of eclipse changes between Total and Annular while the shadow traverses across the Earth’s diameter. When the size of the Moon is smaller than the Sun, and is not able to completely cover the eclipse, and it leaves a bright ring of Sun’s periphery visible. Annular Solar Eclipse Annular Solar Eclipse. People travel long distances and across the world to photograph total solar eclipses. It is rare for a solar eclipse to re-occur at a particular location, on an average occurring after an average of 350 years at the same place. However, there is some variation of a solar eclipse occurring a few days short of every six months.

The Total Solar Eclipse is the most fascinating and sought after phenomenon of an eclipse. It is a Total Solar Eclipse, and the Corona, atmosphere of the Sun, is visible with the naked eyes. When the size of the Moon is larger than the Sun, the Sun gets covered completely. Total Solar Eclipse A total solar eclipse. The eclipse type also depends if the line up of the Sun, Moon, and Earth is perfect or not, indicating that a central or a non-central eclipse will occur. Depending on moons location (distance) from the Earth and the Sun will determine which of the following solar eclipses will occur. There are four variations of a solar eclipse that can occur. It is nothing compared to the experience of totality.

Outside the path of a total solar eclipse, even if you are just a few miles out, or even if you are at a location where you can witness 99% coverage, it becomes a partial solar eclipse. Moon orbits in-between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow (Solar Eclipse) for a brief moment.įor the best viewing though, you need to be within this narrow path. The shadow cast from an eclipse covers the entire half of the Earth (the half facing the Sun and Moon), in a narrow path. The great thing about a solar eclipse is the date, time, and the location is precise and can be known and planned well in advance. There are so many ways to photograph the numerous events that happen during a total solar eclipse. I have been traveling to watch solar eclipses since 1995, and I always find a fascinating new aspect, without fail, in every eclipse. When you travel to be within the path of the celestial line-up, it is a mind-blowing experience and perhaps the most amazing natural phenomenons you’ll ever see. When the Moon moves directly in between the Sun and Earth and casts a shadow directly onto Earth, causing a perfect celestial line up of the Sun, Moon, and Earth (in that order), thus it produces a spectacular phenomenon – a Solar Eclipse.

Solar eclipse maestro