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NASA Brings Total Solar Eclipse to the Masses

Mitch Battros

On August 1st 2008, a total solar eclipse will be visible in parts of Canada, northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, and China. The eclipse will sweep across Earth in a narrow path that begins in Canada's northern province of Nunavut and ends in northern China's Silk Road region at Sunset.

An eclipse of the Sun occurs when the moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun. When the moon's shadow falls on Earth, people within that shadow see the moon block a portion of the Sun's light.

The moon's shadow has two parts, an umbra and a penumbra. The umbra is the "inner" part of the moon's shadow. The penumbra is the moon's faint "outer" shadow.

Time Zone Graph: http://www.earthchangesmedia.com/total_solar_eclipse_aug_2008.jpg

During a total solar eclipse, like the one that takes place August 1, the moon appears to cover all of the Sun for observers located in the moon's umbral shadow, also known as the "path of totality." Those viewing the eclipse from the moon's penumbral shadow see the moon cover a portion of the Sun.

At the moment of totality, when the Sun is totally obscured by the moon's shadow, the Sun's outer atmosphere, called the solar corona, becomes visible. It's a seldom-seen sight coveted by experienced eclipse watchers and an awe-inspiring vision for first-time viewers. The solar corona extends farther than 620,000 miles from the Sun's visible surface and reaches temperatures up to 2 million degrees.

Be sure to catch the event August 1 on NASA TV's streaming live webcast from 6 a.m. (EST) until 11 a.m. (EST) and celebrate this magnificent sight, courtesy of our nearest neighbors, the Sun and moon.

Streaming Live Webcast: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html

**Watch For (Part III) 'Solar Eclipse Events'

---- Coming Later This Week ----

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