Status: 10/24/2022 4:55 p.m
It is a rare spectacle: on Tuesday it can again be observed that the moon moves in front of the sun. How it works and what Astro fans should be aware of.
Provided the weather cooperates, the sun will not shine quite as brightly as it actually could around midday on Tuesday. Its trajectory then takes the earth moon between the earth and the sun. The celestial body, which is more than 3475 kilometers wide, then blocks part of the solar radiation for a period of around two hours.
Solar eclipses are relatively rare
Actually, such solar occultations by the moon should occur regularly every four weeks – because that’s how long the earth’s satellite needs for one orbit. But the moon usually passes between the celestial bodies somewhat above or below the line of sight extending from the earth to the sun. Therefore, solar eclipses are not monthly events. However, the last partial eclipse visible from Germany was only 16 months ago.
This is what a partial solar eclipse looks like…
Image: dpa
Worse visibility conditions in south-west Germany
Tuesday’s eclipse will begin in Iceland and end in India. Only a partial eclipse will be visible along the entire course. At no point does the nocturnal umbra of the moon reach the earth’s surface.
At least 82 percent of the sun is covered in the West Siberian lowlands. In Germany, the largest occultations can be observed in the north-east, for example in Sassnitz/Rügen with a sun disk covered by 35.3 percent. If the observation sites are further south-west, the coverage values gradually decrease to 18.7 percent in Freiburg im Breisgau.
Be sure to use safety goggles
This fairly low level of overcast is not enough for the sky to darken and stars to be visible during the day. Only a somewhat subdued lighting mood will draw attention to the celestial event. If you then want to take a closer look at what is happening in front of the sun, you should definitely use special solar eclipse glasses. Looking directly into sunlight can damage your eyes. For comparison: The course of the solar eclipse on June 10, 2021 was quite similar in terms of degree of coverage and lighting mood.
For the first time, the sun appears in Germany a few minutes after 11 a.m., depending on the location. Maximum coverage will be reached almost exactly one hour later just after 12pm and another hour later partial coverage will end.
… and such a long shot.
Image: AP
Next total solar eclipse in Germany in 2081
Astro fans in Germany will have to wait a while for the spectacle of a total solar eclipse with a starry sky in the middle of the day, a view of the solar corona and eruptions at the edge of the sun. In August 1999, this sight captivated millions of solar eclipse viewers.
The next total eclipse in Germany is only calculated for September 3, 2081. However, in just a few years, two total solar eclipses will take place in quick succession at the best time to travel in Germany’s favorite holiday destination: in August 2026 and 2027 in Spain – and in addition there will be one of the rare annular eclipses of the sun, which will also come from Spain in January 2028 will be visible.