This Wednesday (2), residents of the South, Southeast and Central-West regions will have the chance to observe a solar eclipse that will occur in the late afternoon, close to sunset. The phenomenon occurs when the Moon aligns itself between the Earth and the Sun, which means that the Moon’s shadow does not completely cover the Sun, even though the satellite is much closer to the Earth than the Sun, which causes the so-called “ring of fire” in the sky.
The eclipse will be seen as annular in a narrow band that passes through the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and the southern tip of South America, including Chile and Argentina.
According to the astronomer at the National Observatory, Josina Nascimento, “the further south the greater the eclipsed area will be. [coberta pela Lua]”, he explained.
Phenomenon
In both total and annular eclipses, the Moon aligns itself between the Earth and the Sun, blocking all or most of the Sun’s light on a portion of the Earth’s surface. The darkest shadow, where all sunlight is blocked, is called the umbra. Around the umbra, the lightest shadow is defined, the penumbra, where sunlight is partially blocked and the eclipse is seen as partial.
“This type of eclipse occurs when the Moon is at its apogee, the furthest point in its orbit from the Earth, or close to this point, making it appear smaller than the Sun in the sky. The frequency with which solar eclipses occur is, on average, twice a year, and can only be partial, annular or total. The last annular eclipse of the Sun occurred on October 14, 2023 and was seen in a part of Brazil”, explained Josina.
During the October 2023 eclipse, the National Observatory coordinated a large international integrated action for observation and transmission of the astronomical event. The broadcast surpassed 2.2 million views, with retransmission of Brazilian images by NASA (North American space agency) and Time and Date (international organization that provides services related to time, climate, astronomical phenomena and time zones).
According to the astronomer, eclipses of the Moon and the Sun usually occur in sequence. This is due to the inclination of the Moon’s orbit relative to the Earth. In the case of this annular eclipse, it pairs with the partial eclipse of the Moon occurred on the night of September 17th to 18th.
Observation from Brazil
For those who intend to observe the eclipse, it is important to be in a location with a clear view to the west, as the event will occur close to sunset.
In Rio de Janeiro, for example, the partial eclipse will begin at 5:01 pm, reach its maximum at 5:42 pm, and the Sun will set at 5:52 pm.
Josina Nascimento warns about the necessary care when observing the phenomenon.
“Under no circumstances look directly at the Sun without adequate protection. Dark glasses, X-ray plates or other homemade filters do not protect against damage. It is essential to use certified filters, such as special glasses for solar observation or welding glasses 14”, he informed.
Live broadcast
The National Observatory will Annular eclipse live stream on YouTubein partnership with astronomers from the Céu em sua Casa Project: remote observation and with Time And Date.
