The solar eclipse is one of the most anticipated natural phenomena by people around the world, but It is also one of the largest astronomical events in existence and some regions have to wait several years, even decades, to see one from their territories.
For example, A natural phenomenon like last Saturday, October 14, has not been seen in countries like Colombia for 25 years.exactly since Thursday, February 26, 1998, when the total eclipse of the sun crossed the north of the country and also the north of Venezuela.
Because of this, many expectations have been created about the passing of the American continent – in a short time – by two remarkable eclipses of the Sun, one annular and the other total. The first one happened on October 14 and the next one will happen six months later, on Monday, April 8, 2024.
The first of these eclipses will be visible to millions of people from the United States, passing through Mexico and some Central American countries, until reaching Colombia and Brazil. The second one It can be found in many regions of Mexico, the United States and Canada.
In fact, a place in the state of Texas, where the city ​​of San Antonioprivileged with the lucky experience of seeing two solar eclipses at their maximum intensity.
However, even though these two important events coincided in the Western Hemisphere, There are many differences between them. starting with the type of image that observers see when they reach their maximum intensity.
On the one hand, The annular eclipse last October 14 failed to completely cover the Sun and it is seen as a dark disk on top of a larger, brighter one, creating the so-called “ring of fire.”
This happens because the Moon is at the furthest point in its orbit around the planet Earth, which is called apogee so from a terrestrial perspective the satellite does not cover the entirety of our star.
same, In the case of annular eclipses, the sky does not darken much which produces the places with the strongest atmosphere similar to that of sunset.
In any case, events like the one on October 14 offer enough characteristics to amaze the millions of people who are in the path of the lunar shadow of the Earth and are able to look up at the sky with the appropriate instruments. instrument.
However, A total solar eclipse, like the one on April 8, 2024, is considered the “jewel in the crown” of astronomical events of this kind.
During this event, The Moon is at a good distance from the planet to completely block the star’s light. Observers can see how the two disks overlap to form a black circle, surrounded by a bright white halo.
about the Sun’s corona, which is the star’s outer atmosphere can be seen with the naked eye during a total eclipse if weather conditions allow.
Besides, In most cases, the sky darkens almost completely, it seems like it’s night. Even a drop in temperature can be recorded and animals can show different behaviors.
The truth is, Whether it is annular or total, the alignment of the Earth, Moon and Sun is always a rare event.as well as a privilege for the region of the planet to see it in its highest expression.
