सूर्य ग्रहण ( Solar Eclipse ) September 1, 2016

सूर्य ग्रहण  ( Solar Eclipse ) September 1, 2016

Solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun. This can happen only at new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction. The New Moon phase is uniquely recognized as the beginning of each calendar month just as it is the beginning on the Moon's monthly cycle (lunar month in Hindu Calander). When the Moon is New, it rises and sets with the Sun because it lies very close to the Sun in the sky. But whether the alignment produces a total solar eclipse, a partial solar eclipse or an annular solar eclipse depends on several factors. 

A total solar eclipse is when the Moon blocks out the Sun entirely.

A partial solar eclipse is when the Moon blocks out a portion of the Sun.

An annular solar eclipse is when the Moon is at its furthest point in orbit.

Now the question arises “New Moon occurs every 29 1/2 days, then we should have a solar eclipse about once a month”. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen because the Moon's orbit around Earth is tilted 5 degrees to Earth's orbit around the Sun. As a result, the Moon's shadow usually misses the Earth as it passes above or below our planet at New Moon. At least twice a year, the geometry lines up just right so that some part of the Moon's shadow falls on Earth's surface and an eclipse of the Sun is seen from that region.

The last solar eclipse was a total solar eclipse on March 9, 2016. The next solar eclipse will be annular solar eclipse in September 1, 2016. It will not be visible in India.