Solar Eclipse
1 ) The solar eclipse occurs on amavasya . When the orbits of the moon and the earth are on the same plane then the solar eclipse is possible on every amavasya ( moonless night ) .
2 ) Solar eclipse can occur four or five times at the max and at least twice in a year .
3 ) Solar eclipse takes place on an amavasya when the moon is in the middle of the sun and the earth on the same plane .
4 ) The occurence of a solar eclipse in an astronomical phenomenon quite similar to that of lunar eclipse . The sole diffrence lies in the fact that the solar eclipse is formed as the moon while orbiting around the earth lands itself between the sun and the earth and ends up blocking the sun rays to the earth .This results in moon casting its shadow both teh umbra and penumbra on the earth .The area under moon’s umbra on the earth receives absolutely no sunlight and the sun becomes totally invinsisble from that area .Thus for the area under moon’s umbra there is total solar eclipse .On the other hand the area under moon’s penumbraon the earth does receive sunlight only partial visible from that area for which it is partial solar eclipse .
5 ) Total solar eclipse will be on those parts of the earth which are under the sahdow of the moon . It is called all eclipsing solar eclipse also. Total eclipse lasts for few minutes only on a particular part of the earth .
6 ) An all eclipsing solar eclipse cannot last for more than 7.5 minutes duration .
7 ) On both the sides of the shadow of the moon there are sub shadows.Partial eclipse is seen from those parts of the earth which come under these sub shadows . that part of the sun becomes dim and shadowy where the rays don’t reach .At such time of partial eclipse the heat of the sun also decreases . This is known as partial eclipse .
8 ) Since the moon is very small in comparison to the earth its shadow reaches a very small part of the earth . The solar eclipse will be seen in that area where teh sun rays do not reach .
9 ) There can never be a solar eclipse on the whole earth at one time . As the moon advances in the orbit its shadow also movcs on the earth .
10) Rahu & ketu are responsible for solar & lunar eclipses this has been decribed in detail in the 9th chapter of the first part of vishnu purana .
