The Sun is many times larger than the moon. Is it gravity? Is it the biggest mystery of our solar system? Or is the answer so simple that some aspiring astrophysics major will answer it for me :)
2007-01-10 04:04:31 · 11 answers · asked by roya67 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It is nothing short of an amazing coincidence.
The Sun happens to be 400 times the Moon's diameter, and 400 times as far away. That coincidence means the Sun and Moon appear to be the same size when viewed from Earth. A total solar eclipse, in which the Moon is between the Earth and Sun, blocks the bright light from the Sun's photosphere, allowing us to see the faint glow from the corona, the Sun's outer atmosphere.
2007-01-10 04:12:33 · answer #1 · answered by Lane 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The answer is simple, and I'm not even an astrophysics major. The answer is that the moon is close enough to the Earth that it casts it's shadow in a large enough area on the earth for the Sun to be almost completely covered for viewers in certain areas of the world (the only part of the sun that isn't covered is called the 'corona' or the outer fringes of the sun. It's like blocking a lightbulb with your hand, you still see the light, but it's not directly in your eyes). This area is called the Umbra. There is a larger area called the Penumbra, where there is only a partial eclipse.
Likewise, during a lunar eclipse, it is the Earth's size and proximity to the moon. that casts a larger shadow on the moon, which can result in a complete lunar eclipse. The Umbra of the Earth can completely cover the moon and the Penumbra of the Earth would cover the surrounding area of space around the moon.
2007-01-10 04:18:01 · answer #2 · answered by Maverick 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As other have pointed out, it is a fascinating coincidence. But no one has answered the second part of your question about it being the biggest mystery of the solar system. It is not. So, what is?
Well, for my money, it is the question of the long term stability of the solar system. Will it remain stable for the next, say, 2 x 10^9 years? If it is stable, why is it so? As someone pointed out, the orbit of the moon is growing (actually at about 38 mm per year); will the loss of the moon perturb the earth sun system in a way that, say, Mars cannot recover and like a house of cards the system comes tumbling down.
HTH
Charles
2007-01-10 04:47:41 · answer #3 · answered by Charles 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it has to do with distance. The sun is so far away that it appears small, and the moon is small, when the moon passes in front of the sun the shadow is cast onto certain spots on the earth. It is not a mystery, it is the same as when an airplane looks smaller in the sky. Smoetimes you can hold a toy plane up and it will look the same size as the real plane flying off into the distance. It has to do with depth and perception. Eclipses are shadows and are only seen at certain locations.
2007-01-10 04:17:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Visit the wiki for everything you need to know about the solar eclipse, it will explain the mechanics with diagrams for you
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse
The quick answer, the size of the moon and its orbit by co-incidence are perfectly set up to create a solar eclipse of the sun. Because of the moons angle of orbit around the earth, the sun and the moon do not always align perfectly to create a total eclipse.
2007-01-10 04:19:41 · answer #5 · answered by srrl_ferroequinologist 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is pure coincidence. The sun is 400 times as wide as the moon, but about 400 times as far away.
Saturn and Jupiter have dozens of moons, and from their distance the sun will look very much smaller, so I am willing to bet there are one of two moons out there that create an eclipse just as perfect as our one.
We are just lucky that it happens with our one moon.
2007-01-10 06:01:02 · answer #6 · answered by nick s 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Timing. The Moon is receding from the Earth, and at present can still form a total eclipse. The frequency of annular (where the Moon's disk cannot cover the Sun's) eclipses will only increase with time. The word, "perfect" does not apply.
2007-01-10 04:11:23 · answer #7 · answered by novangelis 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
the sun is a lot bigger than the moon but it's very far away. When an object is that far its size decreases in respect to the other object that is smaller but nearer to us. SO when the moon and sun align, the moon (smaller but closer) covers the sun (larger but further away). Try it with an basketball and a pingpong ball. Put the basket balls far away from you and hold the ping pong ball in your hand at level between your eye and the bball and just move it further or closer to your eye until it covers up all of the bball
2007-01-10 04:14:02 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pure coincidence, the moon was closer, and is still moving away as it loses orbital energy, it just happens to be the right size, more or less, to cover the sun right now.
2007-01-10 04:14:43 · answer #9 · answered by Sangmo 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
They do not form a perfect eclipse - ever heard of the diamond ring effect that occurs during totality?
2007-01-10 04:12:46 · answer #10 · answered by Venus 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋