Everyone has seen a solar eclipse at least once in their life, or at least heard of it. This phenomenon has long attracted attention - at all times it was considered a harbinger of misfortune, some nations perceived it as God's wrath. It really looks a little creepy - the solar disk completely or partially covers the black spot, the sky darkens, and sometimes you can even distinguish stars on it. In animals and birds, this phenomenon causes fear - they gather in flocks and seek shelter. Why does a solar eclipse happen?
The essence of this phenomenon is quite simple - the Moon and the Sun line up in one line, and thus our earthly satellite obscures the luminary. The Moon is much smaller than the Sun, but because it is much closer to the Earth, a person observing a solar eclipse will see that it covers the entire solar disk.
A solar eclipse can be total or partial, depending on how much the Moon covers our star.
On average, the Earth experiences 2 to 5 eclipses every year.
Sometimes you can observe a rare astronomical phenomenon - the so-called ring eclipse. At the same time, the Moon seems smaller than the Sun, and covers only its middle part, exposing the solar atmosphere. This type of eclipse is extremely valuable for researchers of processes occurring on our star. It makes it possible to better view the upper layers of the Sun. In particular, such eclipses have been of great help in the study of the solar corona. It happens that the Moon seems to be larger than the Sun, then the disk turns out to be covered so much that even the rays emanating from it are not visible from the Earth. Such a variety of eclipses is explained by the fact that the lunar orbit has an elongated ellipsoidal shape, so at different times of the year it is further or closer to the Earth.
Scientists have long found the answer to the question of how and why a solar eclipse occurs., saving mankind from prejudices in relation to this phenomenon. Moreover, it can now be predicted. This made it possible to take a fresh look at many historical events. Thus, the chroniclers, describing battles and other important actions, often mentioned that a solar eclipse happened that day, without giving the exact date. Now, thanks to the calculations of modern scientists, these dates have been restored.
Surely, almost everyone has heard of solar eclipses, and sometimes personally observed this phenomenon, which horrified people a few centuries ago. And although astronomers have unraveled the mystery of this phenomenon, there are many interesting facts about solar eclipses, and these facts may surprise even those who were a diligent student in astronomy classes.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes in front of the Sun and casts a shadow on the Earth. This is due to the fact that the distance between the Sun and the Earth is about 400 times the distance of the Moon from the Sun. The diameter of the Sun is also about 400 times that of the Moon. Because of this, the Sun and Moon are the same size when viewed from Earth. When the Moon passes in front of the Sun, it blocks its light from Earth.
There are three different types of solar eclipse: partial, annular and total. A partial solar eclipse is when the Moon is not "perfectly aligned" with the Sun. An annular solar eclipse is when the Moon and the Sun are in the same line, but either the Moon is currently further from the Earth, or the Earth is closer to the Sun. In this situation, the apparent size of the Moon is smaller than that of the Sun, resulting in a bright ring surrounding the dark Moon. A total eclipse is when the Moon completely covers the Sun.
Stars appear in the daytime sky. Since the eclipse causes the day to become darker, planets and stars will be visible in the sky, usually hidden by the light of the Sun. First of all, it is worth looking for Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and Venus.
You can't watch an eclipse without eye protection. If you look directly at the sun without protecting your eyes, it is very dangerous. It can even lead to blindness.
A solar eclipse only occurs during a new moon. This is because the Moon must be between the Sun and the Earth for an eclipse to occur. The only lunar phase when this happens is the new moon.
Although eclipses occur during new moons, they do not occur during every new moon. This is because the Moon's orbit is tilted 5 degrees relative to the Earth's orbit around the Sun. Eclipses occur only when the "paths" of the Earth, the Sun and the Moon intersect (this intersection is called a "node"). Usually the Sun is above or below the "node", so there is no eclipse.
During an eclipse, strange things happen. As the eclipse approaches, strange phenomena can be encountered. For example, across the horizon, you can see areas that are lighter than the sky around the sun, shadows that look different. Birds also stop chirping, and there is a drop in temperature of about 1-5 degrees.
China has published the first known records of solar eclipses. These data on solar eclipses were imprinted on pieces of bone, which were later called "Oracle Bones". They date from about 1050 BC.
In about a million years, solar eclipses will not be visible. This will happen because the Moon is slowly moving away from the Earth.
Canadian astronomer and famed eclipse hunter John Wood Campbell traveled the world for 50 years trying to see 12 different eclipses. And every time he came across an overcast sky.
In ancient times, solar and lunar eclipses caused superstitious horror in people. It was believed that eclipses portend wars, famine, ruin, mass diseases. The occultation of the Sun by the Moon is called a solar eclipse. This is a very beautiful and rare occurrence. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon crosses the plane of the ecliptic at the time of the new moon.
Solar eclipse.
An annular solar eclipse. If the disk of the Sun is completely covered by the disk of the Moon, then the eclipse is called total. At perigee, the Moon is closer to the Earth at 21,000 km from the average distance, at apogee - further at 21,000 km. This changes the angular dimensions of the moon. If the angular diameter of the Moon's disk (about 0.5°) turns out to be slightly less than the angular diameter of the Sun's disk (about 0.5°), then at the time of the maximum phase of the eclipse from the Sun, a bright narrow ring remains visible. Such an eclipse is called an annular eclipse. And, finally, the Sun may not be completely hidden behind the disk of the Moon due to the mismatch of their centers in the sky. Such an eclipse is called partial. Such a beautiful formation as the solar corona can only be observed during total eclipses. Such observations, even in our time, can give a lot to science, so astronomers from many countries come to observe the country where there will be a solar eclipse.
A solar eclipse begins at sunrise in the western regions of the earth's surface and ends in the eastern regions at sunset. Usually a total solar eclipse lasts a few minutes (the longest total solar eclipse of 7 minutes 29 seconds will be on July 16, 2186).
There are also solar eclipses on the Moon. Lunar eclipses occur on Earth at this time. The moon moves from west to east, so the solar eclipse starts from the western edge of the solar disk. The degree of coverage of the Sun by the Moon is called the phase of a solar eclipse. Total solar eclipses can be seen only in those areas of the Earth, which passes the band of the moon's shadow. The diameter of the shadow does not exceed 270 km, so the total eclipse of the Sun is visible only on a small area of the earth's surface. Total solar eclipse March 7, 1970.
The lunar shadow is clearly visible on the surface of the Earth. Although solar eclipses occur more frequently than lunar eclipses, solar eclipses occur much less frequently than lunar ones at any given location on Earth.
Causes of solar eclipses.
The plane of the lunar orbit at the intersection with the sky forms a large circle - the lunar path. The plane of the earth's orbit intersects with the celestial sphere along the ecliptic. The plane of the lunar orbit is inclined to the plane of the ecliptic at an angle of 5°09?. The period of revolution of the Moon around the Earth (stellar or sidereal period) P = 27.32166 Earth days or 27 days 7 hours 43 minutes.
The plane of the ecliptic and the lunar path intersect each other in a straight line called the line of nodes. The points of intersection of the line of nodes with the ecliptic are called the ascending and descending nodes of the lunar orbit. The lunar nodes continuously move towards the movement of the Moon itself, that is, to the west, making a complete revolution in 18.6 years. The longitude of the ascending node decreases by about 20° each year. Since the plane of the lunar orbit is inclined to the plane of the ecliptic at an angle of 5 ° 09?, the Moon during a new moon or full moon can be far from the ecliptic plane, and the disk of the Moon will pass above or below the disk of the Sun. In this case, the eclipse does not occur. For a solar or lunar eclipse to occur, it is necessary that the Moon during the new moon or full moon be near the ascending or descending node of its orbit, i.e. near the ecliptic. In astronomy, many signs introduced in ancient times have been preserved. The symbol of the ascending node means the head of the dragon Rahu, which pounces on the Sun and, according to Indian legends, causes its eclipse.
Lunar eclipses.
During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon completely disappears into the shadow of the Earth. The total phase of a lunar eclipse lasts much longer than the total phase of a solar eclipse. The shape of the edge of the earth's shadow during lunar eclipses served the ancient Greek philosopher and scientist Aristotle as one of the strongest proofs of the sphericity of the Earth. Philosophers of ancient Greece calculated that the Earth is about three times the size of the Moon, simply based on the duration of eclipses (the exact value of this coefficient is 3.66).
The moon at the time of a total lunar eclipse is actually deprived of sunlight, so a total lunar eclipse is visible from anywhere in the hemisphere of the Earth. The eclipse starts and ends simultaneously for all geographic points. However, the local time of this phenomenon will be different. Since the Moon moves from west to east, the left edge of the Moon enters the Earth's shadow first. An eclipse can be total or partial, depending on whether the Moon enters the Earth's shadow completely or passes near its edge. The closer to the lunar node a lunar eclipse occurs, the greater its phase. Finally, when the disk of the Moon is covered not by a shadow, but by penumbra, penumbral eclipses occur. It is difficult to see them with the naked eye. During an eclipse, the Moon hides in the shadow of the Earth and, it would seem, should disappear from sight every time, because. The earth is not transparent. However, the Earth's atmosphere scatters the sun's rays that fall on the eclipsing surface of the Moon "bypassing" the Earth. The reddish color of the disk is due to the fact that red and orange rays pass through the atmosphere best.
The reddish color of the disk during a total lunar eclipse is due to the scattering of sunlight in the Earth's atmosphere.
Each lunar eclipse is different in terms of the distribution of brightness and color in the earth's shadow. The color of an eclipsed moon is often estimated on a special scale proposed by the French astronomer André Danjon:
0 points - the eclipse is very dark, in the middle of the eclipse the Moon is almost or not visible at all.
1 point - the eclipse is dark, gray, the details of the Moon's surface are not visible at all.
2 points - the eclipse is dark red or reddish, a darker part is observed near the center of the shadow.
3 points - an eclipse of red-brick color, the shadow is surrounded by a grayish or yellowish border.
4 points - copper-red eclipse, very bright, the outer zone is light, bluish.
If the plane of the moon's orbit coincided with the plane of the ecliptic, then lunar eclipses would repeat every month. But the angle between these planes is 5°, and the Moon only crosses the ecliptic twice a month at two points, called the nodes of the lunar orbit. Ancient astronomers knew about these nodes, calling them the Head and Tail of the Dragon (Rahu and Ketu). In order for a lunar eclipse to occur, the full moon must be near the node of its orbit. There are usually 1-2 lunar eclipses per year. In some years they may not be at all, and sometimes a third occurs. In the rarest cases, there is also a fourth eclipse, but only a partial penumbra.
Eclipse prediction.
The period of time after which the Moon returns to its node is called the draconic month, which is 27.21 days. After such a time, the Moon crosses the ecliptic at a point offset from the previous crossing by 1.5 ° to the west. The phases of the moon repeat on average every 29.53 days (synodic month). The time interval of 346.62 days, during which the center of the Sun's disk passes through the same node of the lunar orbit, is called the draconian year. The recurrence period of eclipses - saros - will be equal to the time interval after which the beginnings of these three periods will coincide. Saros in ancient Egyptian means "repetition". Long before our era, even in antiquity, it was established that saros lasts 18 years 11 days 7 hours. Saros includes: 242 draconian months or 223 synodic months or 19 draconian years. During each saros there are 70 to 85 eclipses; of these, there are usually about 43 solar and 28 lunar. There can be at most seven eclipses in a year - either five solar and two lunar, or four solar and three lunar. The minimum number of eclipses in a year is two solar eclipses. Solar eclipses occur more often than lunar ones, but they are rarely observed in the same area, since these eclipses are visible only in a narrow band of the moon's shadow. At some particular point on the surface, a total solar eclipse is observed on average once every 200-300 years.
It is rare that natural or astronomical phenomena can surpass a solar eclipse in terms of the power of their drama and impact on a person. Understanding its internal processes and hidden mechanisms will allow you to broaden your horizons, take a step into the world of stellar science.
For many thousands of years of human history, eclipses were considered exclusively harbingers of great misfortunes and catastrophes. But times changed, knowledge multiplied, and in a historically insignificant period of time, from a harbinger of catastrophes, short-term disappearances of the sun turned for people into a grandiose show arranged by nature itself.
Prediction of the exact time of the beginning of astronomical events was also once the lot of dedicated priests. By the way, those who used this knowledge, based on considerations of benefits and the assertion of their power in society.
Scientists of our time, on the contrary, willingly share such information. For decades ahead, the years of solar eclipses are known, the places in which they will be observed. After all, the more people participate in observations, the more information flows into astronomical centers.
Below is a schedule of solar eclipses for the near future:
Most of these planets have their own satellite planets, called moons. The presence of satellites, their constant movement around their planets and the existence of certain patterns in the ratios of the sizes of these celestial bodies and the distances between them explain the causes of solar eclipses.
Each of the celestial bodies that make up our system is illuminated by the sun's rays and every second casts a long shadow into the surrounding space. The same cone-shaped shadow is cast by the Moon on the surface of our planet when, as it moves along its orbit, it finds itself between the Earth and the Sun. In the place where the moon's shadow falls, an eclipse occurs.
Under normal conditions, the apparent diameters of the Sun and Moon are almost the same. Being at a distance 400 times less than the distance from the Earth to the only star in our system, the Moon is 400 times smaller than the Sun in size. Thanks to this surprisingly accurate ratio, humanity has the opportunity to periodically observe a total solar eclipse.
This event can only occur during periods when several conditions are met at the same time:
The larger the surface of the luminary is covered by the Moon, the darker the sky becomes, on which bright stars appear. Shadows lose their usual outlines, become blurry.
The air is getting colder. Its temperature, depending on the geographical latitude along which the eclipse band passes, can decrease by up to 5 degrees Celsius. Animals at this time become anxious, often rushing about in search of shelter. The birds fall silent, some go to bed.
The dark disk of the Moon creeps more and more onto the Sun, leaving from it an increasingly thinning sickle. Finally, the Sun disappears completely. Around the black circle that covered it, you can see the solar corona - a silvery glow with blurry edges. Some illumination is given by the dawn flashing all over the horizon around the observer, an unusual lemon-orange hue.
The moment of complete disappearance of the solar disk usually lasts no more than three or four minutes. The maximum possible time of a solar eclipse, calculated using a special formula, based on the ratio of the angular diameters of the Sun and the Moon, is 481 seconds (slightly less than 8 minutes).
Then the black lunar disk shifts further to the left, exposing the blinding edge of the Sun. At this moment, the solar crown and the glowing ring disappear, the sky brightens, the stars go out. The gradually liberated Sun gives off more and more light and heat, nature returns to its usual form.
It is important to note that in the northern hemisphere the moon moves across the solar disk from right to left, and vice versa in the southern hemisphere - from left to right.
The orbits of the Earth around the Sun and the Moon around the Earth are an ellipse, so the distances between these celestial bodies are not constant and can fluctuate within certain limits. Thanks to this principle of natural mechanics, solar eclipses are different.
At a much greater distance from the band of a total eclipse, one can observe partial solar eclipse, which in common parlance is often also called partial. In this case, for an observer located outside the shadow band, the orbits of the night and day luminaries intersect in such a way that the solar disk is only partially covered. Such phenomena are observed much more often and over a much larger area, while the area of a solar eclipse can be several million square kilometers.
Partial eclipses occur every year in almost every part of the globe, but for most people outside the professional astronomical community, they go unnoticed. A person who rarely looks at the sky will see such a phenomenon only when the Moon covers the Sun halfway, i.e. if the value of its phase will approach 0.5.
The calculation of the phase of a solar eclipse in astronomy can be carried out using formulas of varying degrees of complexity. In the simplest version, it is determined through the ratio of the diameters of the part covered by the Moon and the total diameter of the solar disk. The phase value is always expressed only as a decimal fraction.
Sometimes the Moon passes from the Earth at a distance slightly greater than usual, and its angular (visible) size is less than the apparent size of the solar disk. In such a case, there is annular or annular eclipse: The brilliant ring of the Sun around the black circle of the Moon. At the same time, the observation of the solar corona, stars and dawn is impossible, since the sky practically does not darken.
The width of the observation strip with a similar length is much higher - up to 350 kilometers. The width of the penumbra is also greater - up to 7340 kilometers in diameter. If during a total eclipse the phase is equal to one or can be even more, then during an annular eclipse the phase value will always be greater than 0.95, but less than 1.
It is worth noting the curious fact that the observed variety of eclipses falls just in the period of the existence of human civilization. Since the formation of the Earth and the Moon as celestial bodies, the distance between them has been slowly but continuously increasing. When the distances change, the scheme of a solar eclipse as a whole remains the same, similar to that described above.
More than a billion years ago, the distance between our planet and its satellite was less than now. Accordingly, the apparent size of the lunar disk was much larger than the size of the sun. Only total eclipses occurred with a much wider shadow band, the observation of the corona was almost impossible, as was the formation of annular eclipses.
In the distant future, after millions of years, the distance between the Earth and the Moon will become even greater. Distant descendants of modern humanity will only be able to observe annular eclipses.
Over time, research methods and tools made it possible to draw conclusions about the chemical composition of our star, about the physical processes taking place in it. The well-known chemical element helium was also discovered during an eclipse observed by the French scientist Janssen in India in 1868.
Solar eclipses are one of the few astronomical phenomena available for amateur observation. And not only for observations: anyone can make a feasible contribution to science and record the circumstances of a rare natural phenomenon.
What can an amateur astronomer do:
Hence the main rule of observing the sun: be sure to use eye protection. This can serve as special light filters for telescopes and binoculars, chameleon masks for welding. In the most extreme case, a simple smoked glass is suitable.
What a solar eclipse looks like - look at the video:
Undoubtedly, everyone knows about such a phenomenon as solar eclipse. However, few people know the nature of this phenomenon and can explain what exactly happens during a solar eclipse.
The first such phenomenon happened in the distant past. This put people in a state of panic. They did not understand what was happening and it led them to wild horror. As a rule, people believed that some evil monster was trying to destroy the sun and that it must be protected. Since the solar eclipse is a very short phenomenon, the people's plan always worked, and they successfully expelled the terrible monster and returned bright sunlight and warmth to themselves. After that, you could safely return to your home.
It is known that the first described solar eclipse happened during the reign of the fourth emperor of the Hen dynasty, Chung-Kang. This event is recorded in the great book of China, the Book of History. Only in the nineteenth century was it possible to establish the date of this eclipse. It happened on October 22, 2137 BC.
As early as the beginning of the sixth century BC. astronomers have found the true cause of a solar eclipse. They noticed that the Moon disappeared along with the Sun. This led them to the idea that the Moon simply covers the Sun from the point of view of an earthly observer. It only happens on the new moon.
But at the same time, an eclipse does not occur every time a satellite passes between our planet and a heavenly body, but only when the orbits of the Sun and the Moon intersect. Otherwise, the satellite simply passes at a distance (below or above) the Sun.
In simple terms, a solar eclipse is simply the shadow of the moon on the surface of the globe. The diameter of this shadow is about 200 kilometers. Since this distance is much less than the diameter of the Earth, a solar eclipse becomes available only to those who are in the zone of this shadow. In this case, the observer can observe a total solar eclipse. Those people who are close to the shadow zone can only observe a partial solar eclipse. It is observed by people located about 2000 km from the zone of total solar eclipse.
The shadow cast by the Moon towards the globe is in the form of a sharply converging cone. The top of this cone is located behind the Earth, so not just a dot, but a small black spot falls on the very surface of the planet. It moves along the surface of the Earth at a speed of about 1 km per second. Accordingly, at one point the Moon cannot close the Sun for a long time. Therefore, the maximum duration of a total eclipse phase is 7.5 minutes. The duration of a partial eclipse is about 2 hours.
A solar eclipse is a unique phenomenon. It occurs due to the fact that for an earthly observer, the diameters of the lunar and solar disks are almost equal, despite the fact that the diameter of the Sun is 400 times larger than the diameter of the Moon. This is due to the distance from our planet to the moon and to the heavenly body. The latter is about 390 times larger than the former.
In addition, the Moon's orbit is elliptical. Due to this, at the moments of the onset of solar eclipses, the satellite can be at different distances from the Earth, and therefore, be of different sizes from the point of view of an earthly observer. At this time, the lunar disk can be equal to the solar disk, and can also be larger or smaller than it. In the first case, a short-term solar eclipse occurs, which lasts only a few seconds. In the second case, the total eclipse lasts a little longer. In the third case, the solar crown remains around the dark disk of the moon. This is perhaps the most beautiful version of a solar eclipse. It is the longest of all three options. This solar eclipse is called annular and accounts for approximately 60% of all solar eclipses.
At least 2 times a year (and no more than 5) the shadow from the satellite falls on our planet. Over the past hundred years, scientists have counted approximately 238 solar eclipses. None of the planets currently represented in the solar system can witness such a spectacle.
A total solar eclipse is a great opportunity for astronomers to see the solar crown. At first it was believed that the crown belongs to the Moon, and only in the 19th century astronomers put everything in its place.
Eclipse and legends
Despite the fact that the mystery of the solar eclipse was solved a long time ago, this event still amazes the human mind. Therefore, to this day, during an eclipse in different parts of the Earth, people beat drums, burn bonfires, or tightly close themselves in their homes. Often this astronomical phenomenon is blamed for wars, epidemics, famines, floods, and even turmoil in personal life.
The Koreans in their myths described how the king of the Land of Darkness sent fiery dogs to the Sun. The Japanese sincerely believed that the Sun leaves the sky due to some kind of resentment, and the Moon dies from an unprecedented disease. The Peruvians even tortured their dogs so that their howl would help the companion to heal.
The Chinese, with the help of drums and arrows, drove away the dragon from the Sun, which was trying to eat the heavenly body, and the Africans beat the tom-toms so that the snake that got out of the ocean could not overtake the Sun and swallow it.
The Indian tribes believed that the Sun and Moon borrowed from a demon named Danko. Therefore, during the eclipse, they took utensils, rice and weapons out of the house. Danko accepted these generous donations and released the prisoners.
In Tahiti, the solar eclipse is considered the most romantic event, which symbolizes the act of love between the Sun and the Moon. Therefore, they are looking forward to this event. But the Thais buy talismans, preferably black.
India is the richest country in superstition. The legend here says that a demon named Rahu drank the elixir of immortality, about which the Sun and Moon told the Gods. For this, Rahu was executed, but his severed head remained immortal and now she swallows the Moon or the Sun from time to time as revenge.
In addition, during a solar eclipse in India, it is forbidden to eat and drink, but it is necessary to pray. The best way to do this is to stand up to your neck in water. It is believed that if a pregnant Indian woman leaves her home during an eclipse, her child will be born blind or will have a cleft lip. And food that was not eaten before the eclipse began must be thrown away, as it is considered defiled.
Do you know that…
1) The speed at which the Earth revolves around the Sun prevents a solar eclipse from lasting longer than 7 minutes 58 seconds. For 1000 years there are about 10 total eclipses, which last 7 minutes or more.
2) On June 30, 1973, the last long eclipse happened. At this time, the passengers of one plane had the good fortune to observe it for as long as 74 minutes due to the speed of the vehicle.
3) If you divide the entire globe into sections of a certain size, then the inhabitants of each of them will be able to observe a total eclipse approximately once every 370 years.
5) Every eclipse is different. The solar crown always looks a little different. It depends on the period of solar activity.
6) If you are lucky enough to observe a total solar eclipse, then on the horizon, against the background of a dark purple sky, you can observe a bright red-orange stripe. This is the so-called glowing ring.
7) The next solar eclipse will take place on November 3, 2013. It will be visible in the Atlantic Ocean and Africa.s
8) May 28, 585 BC A solar eclipse ended the five-year war between the Medes and the Lydians.
9) The Tale of Igor's Campaign describes the most significant solar eclipse in Russian history.
How to properly observe a solar eclipse?
It's best not to try to look at the sun's disk with the naked eye or with regular sunglasses. Glasses must be special, otherwise you may lose your sight. Despite the advances of modern times, smoked glass or overexposed photographic film is still perfect.
Eye damage can happen even when you look at the Sun's thin crescent. Only 1% of a star is 10,000 times brighter than the moon. If you closely observe the Sun, then something like a magnifying glass is created, which transmits sunlight to the retina of the eye. The retina is very fragile and cannot be repaired, so never watch a solar eclipse without some kind of special protection.
If you are watching a total eclipse and the sun is completely hidden, you can look at this unforgettable spectacle with complete peace of mind without using any special filters.
Observation of the partial phases of an eclipse requires a special technique. One of the safest ways to observe the Sun is to use a "camera obscura". It makes it possible to observe the projected image of the Sun. Making a mobile camera obscura is quite simple. To do this, you need two thick pieces of cardboard. In one of them it is necessary to cut a hole, the second sheet will serve as a screen on which an inverted image of the Sun will be formed. In order to enlarge the image, you just need to move the screen a little further.
The second way to observe the Sun is to use filters. In this case, you will look directly at the Sun. The minimum amount of light passes through these filters.
One of these filters is made from aluminized polyester. However, the material can be of different densities, so it is very important to inspect the filter for holes through which eye-damaging rays can penetrate the filter.
Another type of filter is made of black polymer. Observation of the Sun through such a filter is more comfortable for the eyes. However, it is worth remembering that no filter is one hundred percent protection if the optical density does not exceed 5.0.
There are also special filters for telescopes and cameras. However, they are not always safe, as they can melt under the influence of temperature and harm the eyes. Many people prefer to observe a solar eclipse with a telescope. This allows you to see the entire process of this phenomenon as accurately as possible. During the total phase of the eclipse, the filter can be removed.
