Rare total solar eclipse crosses North America; Here's why it's exceptional

Srinagar, April 08: On Monday, April 8, a celestial spectacle will unfold as a total solar eclipse graces the skies over North America, traversing Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Such an occurrence is a rarity, with an interval of approximately 400 years before the same location witnesses another total solar eclipse, according to Royal Museums Greenwich.

But what makes a total solar eclipse so exceptional?

Before delving into the rarity of this phenomenon, let's understand what a solar eclipse entails. Occurring when the Moon positions itself between the Earth and the Sun, a solar eclipse results in the Moon obstructing the Sun's light, casting a vast shadow over certain regions of the world.

There are four primary types of solar eclipses: total, annular, partial, and hybrid.

During a total solar eclipse, the Moon entirely covers the Sun, plunging the sky into darkness and offering viewers a glimpse of the Sun's corona—the outer atmosphere—usually invisible due to the Sun's brightness.

Conversely, an annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon, positioned farther from Earth, leaves only the Sun's periphery visible, resembling a ring of fire.

A partial solar eclipse transpires when the Moon partially obscures the Sun, resulting in a crescent-shaped appearance. This type is the most common.

The rarest of all is the hybrid solar eclipse, where the phenomenon shifts between annular and total as the Moon's shadow traverses the Earth.

Despite occurring only during the new moon, which happens approximately every 29.5 days as the Moon orbits Earth, solar eclipses aren't a monthly event. This irregularity is due to the Moon's orbit being tilted about five degrees compared to Earth's orbit around the Sun.

Whenever the Moon aligns with Earth's orbit (called the line of nodes), there's an opportunity for a solar eclipse.

However, total solar eclipses are particularly infrequent. Although there can be between two and five solar eclipses annually, total eclipses occur only around once every 18 months. Moreover, a specific spot on Earth experiences a total solar eclipse only once every 400 years.

This rarity stems from the fact that the umbral shadow—the region where the eclipse is total—is minuscule, covering less than one percent of the Earth's surface. Additionally, much of the Earth is either underwater or uninhabited, further limiting the number of witnesses to these celestial events.

So, as the anticipation builds for Monday's total solar eclipse, astronomers and enthusiasts alike will marvel at the fleeting beauty of this rare cosmic phenomenon.