At its core, a solar eclipse is a simple alignment of celestial bodies. However, the conditions required for this alignment are remarkably precise. The Sun, about 400 times larger than the Moon, is also approximately 400 times further away from Earth than the Moon. This incredible coincidence of ratios allows the Moon to completely or partially cover the Sun from our vantage point on Earth.
This occurs when the Moon entirely covers the Sun, casting a shadow on Earth and turning day into a brief period of night. Observers in the path of the Moon’s umbra experience the awe-inspiring moment of totality, where the Sun’s corona, its outer atmosphere, becomes visible.
When only a part of the Sun is obscured by the Moon, a partial solar eclipse is observed. The extent of the Sun covered varies depending on the viewer’s location.
An annular eclipse happens when the Moon is too far from Earth to completely cover the Sun, leaving a bright, fiery ring, or “annulus,” visible around the Moon’s silhouette.