There is still one day before the eclipse! Scientists from NASA explained the spectacular features of the solar eclipse.
You can also visit space to watch the live webcast of the solar eclipse provided by NASA, starting at 12 pm EST (GMT 16).
Total solar eclipse is not as rare as it looks, but it is very unlikely that you will encounter more than one total solar eclipse in your life. They actually happen somewhere on the earth every 18 months, but they happen in the same place about every 360 years. So, if you happen to live somewhere along the road, you should consider yourself lucky! 20 15 On March 20th, in Madrid, Spain, children looked at the sky during the partial solar eclipse with special glasses outside the planetarium. (Pablo braz dominguez/Getty Photo Agency)
But total solar eclipse is not only rare in a certain place on the earth; They are also quite rare in the whole universe. Space and Vial, astrophysicists at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, talked about why solar eclipses are so special on Earth. [A brief history of solar eclipse, 1900 to 20 17 (gallery)]
"This is a very special route," Vere said, "because the size of the moon is definitely different from that of the sun." On the contrary, its apparent size from the earth can be the same as that of the sun in the sky. Because the orbit of the moon around the earth is shaped like an ellipse, its apparent size will also change with its distance from the earth. In order to keep out the sun, the moon must be at the right distance and in the right position in the sky at the same time.
"It's a special thing to make geometric alignment," Vere said. She said that although solar eclipses may occur on other planets, it is unlikely that another planet in our solar system will have a satellite with perfect size, shape and orbit to produce a total solar eclipse. On the other hand, an annular eclipse was observed from other planets, that is, the moon passed before the sun, but its size was not enough to block the entire solar disk. NASA's Mars probe Curiosity observed at least one such eclipse when the Mars satellite Phobos flew over the sun.
On August 20th, 20 13, Curiosity, a Mars probe, photographed an annular eclipse. Phobos, the largest satellite of Mars, passes right in front of the sun. These photos are taken every three seconds. (NASA /JPL California Institute of Technology/Marin Space Science Systems/Texas A & ampViall said that there will be no total solar eclipse on earth in the distant future.
"On earth, one day we won't have a total solar eclipse, because as the moon gets farther and farther away from the earth, one day it won't block the sun," she said. Scientists estimate that the last total solar eclipse on earth will take place in about 600 million years. "It will be a sad day," said Vere.
But no one on earth today will see the day when the moon ventures away from the earth and produces a total solar eclipse. Once this happens, there will still be an annular eclipse or a "circular" eclipse. Nevertheless, anyone in the United States, whether you are in the line of total solar eclipse or there will be a partial solar eclipse, should try to see the solar eclipse on Monday-you may never get a chance to see it again.
Editor's Note: Know what an eclipse looks like from your position-Space has cooperated with the simulation course to provide this great eclipse Safari application to help you enjoy the eclipse experience. Both Apple and Android have free apps, which you can check online. If you took amazing photos of the solar eclipse on August 2 1, please let us know! Send photos and comments to space photos@space and share your solar eclipse experience with us at eclipse20 17@space.
Email hweitering@space or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom, facebook and Google+. An original article about space. "