what is an eclipse? How do you know whent here is an eclipse?

Question

I herad to never look at the sun during an eclipse. I heard this in "The shak" on NBN. How do you know when there is an eclipse so you dont look at the sun?

Answer 1

An eclipse (Greek verb: ekleipô, "to vanish", though it derives from the prefix 'ex-', "away from", and Greek 'leipein', "to leave") is an astronomical event that occurs when one celestial object moves into the shadow of another. The term is most often used to describe either a solar eclipse, when the Moon's shadow crosses Earth's surface, or a lunar eclipse, when the Moon moves into the shadow of Earth. However, it can also refer to such events beyond the Earth-Moon system: for example, a planet moving into the shadow cast by one of its moons, a moon passing into the shadow cast by its parent planet, or a moon passing into the shadow of another moon. An eclipse is a type of syzygy, as are transits and occultations. Eclipses are impossible on Mercury and Venus, which have no moons.

Answer 2

The reason they tell you never to look directly at a solar eclipse is this: When the eclipse is total, the sky is much darker as the sun's disc is blocked out. Obviously, since it isn't very bright, looking at it isn't going to blind you. The problem is that because it isn't very bright, the pupils in your eyes dilate (open up) to let more light in. When the totality of the eclipse comes to an end, the sun's very bright rays begin peeking out from behind the moon and will hit your dilated eye, which will let too much of that light in and it will damage your retina.

So looking at the eclipse itself isn't dangerous. You just run the risk of being caught by the end of the totality by the sun's bright rays with your pupils dilated.

Answer 3

there was a total eclipse on February 26, 1978 and Ha! I looked at the sun and lived to tell. If there is a lunar or solar eclipse, the media will kill you with the news until you must be under a rock not to know and then don't peep at the sun. :)

Answer 4

well you shouldn't look at the sun period. There are two types of eclipse, solar and lunar. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes in front of the sun. A lunar eclipse is just the opposite. If we lived on the moon, it would be a solar eclipse, see what i mean. As far as looking at the sun during a solar eclipse, i don't think the result would be any more devastating than looking at the sun period.

Answer 5

you can, only with specially filtered sunglasses, and do not look at it continuously for over 5 seconds with sunglasses on, continuous exposure to the eyes from the sun will cause the light rays to destroy your retina behind your eye, causing blindness, but important thing, do not stare dead into the sun...period, unless you want to go through years of pain and blindness just to satisfy yourself the agony of the pain, solar eclipse - full eclipse is rare, does not happen a lot and if it does its all over the places, concentrated into one little spot

*Random facts* - you are more likely to get hit by lightning than to win the lottery O.o

Answer 6

You shouldnt look cause when there is eclipse uv rays are radiated due to a certain phenomenon,and looking directly can harm your eyes. In any event lookin at sun directly is harmful.. you can know it by astronomy, rotation cycles of earth,moon, sun..