Earth and the Moon are in a constant dance as they orbit the sun, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) tweeted ahead of two special celestial events on Sunday, June 21, 2020. These are Summer Solstice and an annular solar eclipse. According to NASA, there is no part of an annular eclipse during which it is safe to look directly at the Sun. You must use a proper solar filter or an indirect viewing method during all phases of the eclipse — even if only a tiny sliver of the Sun is visible around the Moon’s edge, that’s still enough to cause damage to your eyes.
SUMMER SOLSTICE IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
According to NASA, earth has a slight tilt as it orbits the Sun. It said June is one of two times each year when that tilt is most prominent: a solstice. At the solstices, happening each year in June and December, Earth's tilt is at the greatest angle with respect to the plane of its orbit, meaning that one hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun, and the other hemisphere is tilted away. The northern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun, so the June solstice is the day on which the Northern hemisphere receives the longest stretch of daylight for the year. As per NASA, in both hemisphere the Sun will rise and set at its northernmost point on the horizon. After June 20, the Sun will appear to travel south.
During the June solstice, the southern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, meaning the June solstice marks its shortest stretch of daylight for the year. June is the Southern Hemisphere's winter solstice.
ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE IN AFRICA AND ASIA
An annular solar eclipse is set to occur on June 21. Eclipses happen when the moon lines up just right between the Sun and Earth, allowing it to block out part or all of the Sun's bright face and cast a shadow on Earth. Though the Moon orbits Earth about once a month, its orbit is tilted by five degrees, so the perfect alignment that creates an eclipse is relatively rare. Often the moon is too high or low in our sky to block out the Sun.
During an annular eclipse, the moon is too far from Earth. Its apparent size is too small to entirely block out the face of the Sun, leaving a silver of the Sun visible around the Moon's edge during the eclipse and creating a "ring of fire" effect.
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