2007-09-19 07:05:27 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The moon orbits the earth in an elliptical path, not a circular path (although it's pretty close to circular). Sometimes the moon is further away from the earth in its orbit, sometimes it is closer.
When the moon is further away from the earth and it lines up with the sun an eclipse happens, but the size of the moon in the sky is not quite big enough to completely 'cover' the sun so, a ring or annulus appears around the moon.
When the moon is closer to the earth in its orbit and lines up with the sun it is large enough in the sky to completely cover the sun so, a total eclipse happens.
When the moon doesn't perfectly line up with the sun (closer or further away) then a partial eclipse happens.
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2007-09-19 07:36:00 · answer #1 · answered by tlbs101 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An annular eclipse can occur when the Moon is just a little further from the Earth and therefore it appears a little smaller. The eclipse looks like a ring because the Moon covers all of the Sun except for an edge all the way around.
Annular eclipses are wonderful and beautiful and exciting but not quite like a total eclipse. It never gets as dark and the viewer must always keep the eclipse shades on.
2007-09-19 14:18:22 · answer #2 · answered by luvlaketahoe 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
An annular eclipse occurs when the moon is far enough from earth that it does not completely cover the solar disk. As seen from the ground, the sun appears as a very bright ring - hence the term "annular."
The moon's orbit is slightly eliptical, so at times, the moon appears larger than the sun, and at other times, slightly smaller.
2007-09-19 16:18:23 · answer #3 · answered by quantumclaustrophobe 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An annular eclipse is a partial eclipse of the sun. These occur because the moon and sun do not align perfectly every time due to the tilt of it's orbit. If everything was perfectly lined up, we would have an eclipse every full moon.
Adolph
2007-09-19 14:16:49 · answer #4 · answered by Adolph K 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The distance.
If the Sun is closer to us than usual, and the Moon is farther, than usual, then the visible size of the Moon will be smaller, than the one of the Sun, and Moon will be not enough to hide the Sun!
2007-09-19 19:35:33 · answer #5 · answered by Dims 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋