All articles tagged with #solar eclipse
NASA's Artemis II crew captured dramatic images from the Moon's far side, including an Earthset and a total solar eclipse, during a flyby that extended more than 4,000 miles beyond the Moon; two new craters were named Integrity and Carroll, and Orion is set to splash down near San Diego on April 10 as the mission continues.
ESA says its Proba-3 Coronagraph spacecraft has reconnected with Earth after a month of silence; an anomaly in February disrupted attitude control and prevented safe-mode entry, and the spacecraft is now in safe mode with its solar panels powering the systems while health checks are conducted to assess possible damage as the Coronagraph and its Occulter continue their formation to study the solar corona by creating artificial eclipses.
Solar eclipses aren’t evenly distributed: NASA’s 5,000-year heat map and a Time and Date study show that orbital geometry and a notable 'latitude effect' make polar regions more likely to experience total eclipses, while the overall timing of eclipses depends on long-term cycles of Earth’s orbit (aphelion/perihelion) and the Moon’s gradual recession. Annular eclipses are more frequent than total ones, and while total eclipses can occur anywhere on Earth over millennia, the interval at any given location is highly irregular—on the order of centuries—until a distant future where total eclipses end as the Moon moves farther away.
A decade of eclipse-era observations by researchers at the University of Hawai'i reveals turbulent structures in the Sun's outer atmosphere that originate from prominences and survive as they travel outward with the solar wind, providing new clues to coronal heating and space-weather effects on Earth.
The year’s first solar eclipse is an annular “ring of fire” visible only from 13 locations along a narrow path that starts over western Antarctica and sweeps across the Davis Sea coastline and the Southern Ocean on Feb 17 at about 7:10am; the UK isn’t in the path, Antarctica watchers will see the full eclipse while other locations may witness partial views, and a lunar eclipse follows on March 3–4.
The 12 August 2026 total solar eclipse will sweep across the Iberian Peninsula, with Spain in the main path of totality (lasting up to about 1 minute 40 seconds in places like León and Palencia) and a small section of northeastern Portugal seeing only a partial view. Viewers should plan ahead, monitor weather forecasts, choose west-facing, unobstructed viewing spots, and use proper eye protection. This rare celestial event—the first total eclipse visible from mainland Europe in about 27 years—offers a memorable spectacle for observers in northern Spain and nearby areas, if skies cooperate.
The first eclipse of 2026 is an annular solar eclipse on Feb. 17, producing a ring of fire. Full view is only visible from Antarctica, while partial views may be seen in parts of the Southern Hemisphere; NASA recommends safe viewing with solar glasses or a DIY eclipse projector.
A new critique published in Trends in Plant Science questions the 2025 study that linked synchronized bioelectrical activity in spruce trees to a partial solar eclipse, arguing the small sample size, numerous variables, and lack of alternative explanations undermine the claim; some scientists label the work as pseudoscience, while the original researchers defend the preliminary results and say follow-up studies are ongoing.
A viral claim that Earth will briefly lose gravity for seven seconds on August 12, 2026 is false. NASA says gravity is determined by Earth's mass and cannot vanish without a mass change; a total solar eclipse will occur that day but it will not affect gravity. The rumor traces to a dubious post and there’s no credible evidence supporting it.
2026 will feature a variety of notable lunar and solar events including three supermoons, a total solar eclipse, a blood moon lunar eclipse, and close conjunctions of the moon with planets like Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars, offering numerous opportunities for skywatchers to observe spectacular celestial phenomena.
The year 2026 will feature significant cosmic events including lunar missions, solar and lunar eclipses, multiple planetary alignments, supermoons, and the return of interstellar visitors like comet 3I/Atlas, alongside ongoing lunar exploration by NASA, China, and private companies.
The year 2026 will feature significant cosmic events including lunar missions, solar and lunar eclipses, multiple planetary alignments, supermoons, and the return of interstellar visitors, highlighting a dynamic year for space exploration and astronomy.
The movement to pass the 'Sunshine' bill, which aims to address daylight saving time, faces continued delays in Congress despite initial optimism after President Trump showed support, leaving the bill's future uncertain.
New research shows that the 2024 North American total solar eclipse temporarily reset the biological clocks of some bird species, causing many to sing as if it were dawn, highlighting their sensitivity to light changes and implications for conservation amid increasing light pollution.
The total solar eclipse on July 22, 2028, will be visible across Australia and New Zealand, with the longest totality over remote regions like the Outback and iconic locations such as Sydney Harbour, offering a rare spectacle with up to 5 minutes of totality, and the event will be best observed from areas with clear winter skies.