Expect the only total solar eclipse in 2021

NASA said this year's only total solar eclipse will take place on December 4, but the entire event can only be observed from the South Pole.

Simulate the phases of a total solar eclipse.

The maximum solar eclipse will fall at about 14:33 on December 4, Hanoi time for observers near the edge of the Ronne ice shelf in Antarctica. People in some parts of the Southern Hemisphere can watch a partial solar eclipse. The next total solar eclipse will occur on April 8, 2024 and will be widely visible in many parts of Canada, Mexico and the United States.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, casting a shadow on the Earth. During a total solar eclipse, the Earth, Moon, and Sun must all lie in a straight line. The Sun is temporarily completely obscured by the Moon. The sky became very dark and observers could see the corona, the outer layer of the Sun's atmosphere, through the bright border surrounding the Moon. Normally, the corona is obscured by the Sun's overly bright surface.

A similar phenomenon is an annular solar eclipse that occurs when the Moon does not completely cover the Sun, but creates a bright red fringe around it. The next annular solar eclipse will take place on October 14, 2023.

According to NASA, people in Saint Helena, Namibia, Lesotho, South Africa, South Georgia, the Sandwich Islands, the Crozet Islands, the Falkland Islands, Chile, New Zealand, and Australia will be able to observe a partial solar eclipse during the sun's time. rise or fall.