# Presentation: 573881

## title

**Total Solar Eclipse of ****March 29, 2006**

- Presented by
- Fred Espenak, NASA’s GSFC

## Solar Eclipse Geometry 1

*Full*
*Moon*

**Earth**

**Moon**

- Earth and Moon: Full Moon

- The Moon orbits Earth
-      once every 29.5 days with respect to the Sun

## Solar Eclipse Geometry 2

**Earth**

*New*
*Moon*

- Earth and Moon: New Moon

**Moon**

- The Moon orbits Earth
-      once every 29.5 days with respect to the Sun

## Solar Eclipse Geometry 3

**Earth**

*New*
*Moon*

- Earth and Moon: Solar Eclipse Geometry

**Moon**

- An eclipse of the Sun
-      is only possible during the New Moon phase.

## Solar Eclipse Geometry 4

**Earth**

*New*
*Moon*

- Earth and Moon: Solar Eclipse Path

- Path of Totality

**Moon**

- During a total solar eclipse
-      the Moon’s two shadows sweep across Earth.

## Solar Eclipse Geometry 4

*Full*
*Moon*

**Earth**

**Moon**

*New*
*Moon*

- Earth and Moon: Solar Eclipse Geometry

- Path of Totality

**Moon**

- The Moon orbits Earth
-      once every 29.5 days with respect to the Sun

## Partial Phases of a Total Solar Eclipse

*Credit: Dennis Mammana*

- Every total eclipse begins with a series of partial phases which may last an hour or more. However, the total phase or “totality” never lasts more than 7.5 minutes.
- This time series photo shows an entire total solar eclipse, from start to finish over a period of over two hours.

## Eclipse Shadows

- Astronomy Picture of the Day - August 13, 1999

*Credit:  E. Israel *

- 	When sunlight passes through gaps between leaves of a tree, the shadows on the ground show little images of the eclipse happening in the sky above. This is the same principle as the pinhole camera.

**Notes:**
Near the shadow of the moon under a shady tree, dozens of images of a 1994 solar eclipse in progress are visible in this striking picture from the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. What creates the multiple images? Any small gap between leaves can act like a pin-hole camera, projecting a discernible image of the crescent sun onto the shaded sidewalk below. This tree's height and multitude of leaves combine dramatically to produce the large size and number of images. On August 11, many throughout Europe and Asia had the chance to enjoy similar views of the last total solar eclipse of the millennium as the moon's shadow raced across densely populated regions of the globe. 
(APOD: August 13, 1999 - Eclipse In The Shade )

## “Diamond Ring” Effect Before Totality Begins

- 	In the last seconds before totality begins, the remaining bit of Sun resembles a dazzling jewel as the ring-like corona appears.

- Astronomy Picture of the Day - June 21, 2001

*Credit: Fred Espenak*

**Notes:**
Today, earthbound skygazers can celebrate a solstice, a new Moon, the closest approach of planet Mars since 1988 ... oh yes, and a total eclipse of the Sun, the first total solar eclipse of the third millennium. Of course for some, today's most spectacular celestial views will be of the eclipsed Sun from along the path of totality as the new Moon's shadow tracks across southern Africa and Madagascar. This picture from the August 1999 total solar eclipse captures the shimmering solar corona just as that eclipse's total phase ended, as seen from eastern Turkey. The first rays of bright sunlight shinning through edge-on lunar mountains and valleys create the fleeting appearance of glistening diamonds set in a ring around the Moon's silhouette. Do you want to see today's solar eclipse? Eclipse expeditions are offering live webcasts. 
(APOD: 2001 June 21 - Diamond Ring in the Sun )

## Total Solar Eclipse Video

- Video of the June 21, 2001 eclipse in Africa shows the Diamond Ring Effect as the Sun vanishes behind the Moon and Totality begins.

*Click on image to play video*

## Glorious Solar Corona

- 	The sun’s glorious corona is composed of hot, rarified plasma with a temperature of 1 to 2 million degrees Centigrade. It is only visible during a total eclipse when the Moon hides the Sun’s brilliant disk.

- Astronomy Picture of the Day - Sept. 15, 1999

*Credit: Fred Espenak*

**Notes:**
Most photographs don't adequately portray the magnificence of the Sun's corona. Seeing the corona first-hand during a total solar eclipse is best. The human eye can adapt to see features and extent that photographic film usually cannot. Welcome, however, to the digital age. The above picture is a combination of twenty-two photographs that were digitally processed to highlight faint features. The outer pictures of the Sun's corona were digitally altered to enhance dim, outlying waves and filaments. The inner pictures of the usually dark Moon were enhanced to bring out its faint glow from doubly reflected sunlight. Shadow seekers need not fret, though, since as yet there is no way that digital image processing can mimic the fun involved in experiencing a total solar eclipse. 
(APOD: September 15, 1999 - The Big Corona )

## Eerie Twilight During a Total Solar Eclipse

- During “totality” the landscape is bathed in an eerie twilight. Bright stars and planets are visible.

- Astronomy Picture of the Day - 2003 January 08

*Credit: Olivier Staiger*

**Notes:**
Sometimes, during a total eclipse of the Sun, a strange shadow of darkness can be seen stretching off into the distance. Called a shadow cone, they are visible because the Earth's atmosphere is not completely transparent, scattering sunlight and hence appearing blue during the day. Shadow cones are particularly dramatic for eclipses near the horizon, as geometry creates a long corridor of sun-blocked air. Visible above is a shadow cone caught during a total solar eclipse visible last month from South Australia. The eclipsed Sun itself still appears bright because of light from the surrounding corona. The digital camera on the left is zoomed in to show a better image of the actual eclipse. 
(APOD: 2003 January 6 - Shadow Cone of a Total Solar Eclipse )

## Earth and Eclipse from Space

- Astronomy Picture of the Day - August 30, 1999

***Credit: ****Mir 27 Crew; ****Copyright: ****CNES *

- From space, the Moon’s umbra can be seen sweeping over Earth during a total solar eclipse. Only observers within the shadow’s path will see “totality” - outside the path a partial eclipse will be seen.

**Notes:**
Here is what the Earth looks like during a solar eclipse. The shadow of the Moon can be seen darkening part of Earth. This shadow moves across the Earth at nearly 2000 kilometers per hour. Only observers near the center of the dark circle see a total solar eclipse - others see a partial eclipse where only part of the Sun appears blocked by the Moon. This spectacular picture of the 1999 August 11 solar eclipse was one of the last ever taken from the Mir space station, as Mir is being decommissioned after more than ten years of productive use. 
(Astronomy Picture of the Day - August 30, 1999)

## Total Solar Eclipse from Antarctica

- 	It’s possible to see a total eclipse from anywhere on Earth. This image was shot in Antarctica in 2003.

- Astronomy Picture of the Day - 2003 December 08

*Credit: Fred Bruenjes*

**Notes:**
The Sun, the Moon, and two photographers all lined up last month in Antarctica during an unusual total eclipse of the Sun. Even given the extreme location, a group of enthusiastic eclipse chasers ventured near the bottom of the world to experience the surreal momentary disappearance of the Sun behind the Moon. One of the treasures collected was the above picture -- a composite of four separate images digitally combined to realistically simulate how the adaptive human eye saw the eclipse. As the image was taken, both the Moon and the Sun peaked together over an Antarctic ridge. In the sudden darkness, the magnificent corona of the Sun became visible around the Moon. Quite by accident, another photographer was caught in one of the images checking his video camera. Visible to his left are an equipment bag and a collapsible chair. 
(APOD: 2003 December 8 - An Antarctic Total Solar Eclipse )

## Partial Solar Eclipse

- 	Partial eclipses are visible over a much larger part of Earth than total eclipses.  So they are seen by many more people.

- Partial Eclipse of Oct. 14, 2004 (Hawaii)

*Credit: Fred Espenak*

## Annular Solar Eclipse

- Annular Solar Eclipse of May 10, 1994  (Toledo, Ohio)

- 	The solar corona is NOT visible during an annular eclipse. The remaining ring of sunlight hides the corona in its glare.

**Notes:**
Total Solar Eclipse showing the corona and a few prominences off the limb (in red). When the moon blocks the light from the bright solar photosphere, we can see the much dimmer, more subtle evidence of the corona.

## Frequency of Solar Eclipse Types

- Fred Espenak, NASA’s GSFC

## Total Solar Eclipse of March 29, 2006

## Total Solar Eclipse of 2006

## Total Solar Eclipse of March 29, 2006

## Total Solar Eclipse of March 29, 2006

## Total Solar Eclipse of March 29, 2006

## Total Solar Eclipse of March 29, 2006

## Total Solar Eclipse of March 29, 2006

## Total Solar Eclipse of March 29, 2006

## Total Solar Eclipse of March 29, 2006

## Total Solar Eclipse of March 29, 2006

## NASA Solar Eclipse Bulletins

- Bulletin for all Major Solar Eclipses
- All Total & Some Annular
- Published 12-24 months before eclipse

- NASA’s 2006 Total Solar Eclipse Website:
- sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEmono/TSE2006/TSE2006.html

- NASA’s 2006 Eclipse Bulletin (on web):
- umbra.nascom.nasa.gov/eclipse/20060329/rp.html
- NASA’s 2006 Eclipse Bulletin _x0008_(pdf):
- sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEpubs/TP212762.html

## Sun-Earth Day Eclipse Website

## Four Contacts of a Total Solar Eclipse

- Fred Espenak, NASA’s GSFC

## USA Times for the 2006 Eclipse From Side, Turkey

- 09:38 GMT
- 04:38 EST    03:38 CST    02:38 MST    01:38 PST

- 10:55 GMT
- 05:55 EST    04:55 CST    03:55 MST    02:55 PST

- 10:59 GMT
- 05:59 EST    04:59 CST    03:59 MST    02:59 PST

- 12:14 GMT
- 07:14 EST    06:14 CST    05:14 MST    04:14 PST

## NASA Eclipse Home Page

- sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html

## World Atlas of Solar Eclipse Paths

## Solar Eclipses: 2001-2020

## Links for the 2006 Total Solar Eclipse

- NASA’s Sun-Earth Connection Website for 2006 Eclipse:
- sunearthday.nasa.gov/2006/index.php
- NASA’s Sun-Earth Connection & Exploratorium Live Webcast of 2006 Eclipse:
- sunearthday.nasa.gov/2006/events/webcasts.php

- NASA’s 2006 Total Solar Eclipse Website:
- sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEmono/TSE2006/TSE2006.html
- NASA’s 2006 Eclipse Bulletin (Web Version):
- umbra.nascom.nasa.gov/eclipse/20060329/rp.html
- NASA’s 2006 Eclipse Bulletin (PDF Version):
- sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEpubs/TP212762.html

- NASA’s Eclipse Home Page:
- sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html