On March 20, 2015, part of northern Europe went dark. The Moon blocked the Sun in a total solar eclipse. It lasted a short time.
The best viewing was on Norway's Svalbard Islands near the North Pole. For 2 minutes and 45 seconds, visitors to the Arctic islands had a full view of the Sun's corona. That's the faintly glowing gas that surrounds the Sun. It's only seen during a total eclipse.
A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon lines up right between the Sun and Earth. The Moon totally blocks the Sun. A lunar shadow is cast on Earth's surface. During a partial solar eclipse, only part of the Sun is blocked.
Most of Europe and parts of Asia and Africa experienced a partial solar eclipse that March. British leaders said that 95 percent of the Sun was covered in the Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland Islands of northern Scotland.
This eclipse was special. It happened during the spring equinox. That's one of two times each year when the day is nearly equal in length to the night. It also happened as the Moon passed at its closest point to Earth in its orbit. This caused stronger ocean tides. This was most noticeable in northwestern France and eastern Canada.
Across Europe, leaders warned people not to look directly at the Sun during the eclipse. Those who wanted to see it were told to wear protective glasses. The glasses blocked harmful rays coming from the Sun. But clouds covered large parts of the continent. They made the eclipse hard to see.
In Germany, some people were worried about the eclipse. Many people there use solar power. Leaders feared that the flood of sunshine after the eclipse would overload the electrical system. But that didn't happen.
For those who got to see the total eclipse in a clear sky, the experience was wonderful. In the Svalbard Islands, a few hundred people watched the eclipse above the snowy land. They shouted and whooped. Some had come a long way to see this.
"It was just fabulous. Just beautiful. And at the same time, a bit odd and…too short," said Mary Rannestad. She had come from the U.S. to watch.
A total solar eclipse is rare. They happen roughly every year and a half, but they usually can't be seen from the same place as before. It can take 375 years for that to happen.
Information for this story came from AP.
Look at the solar eclipse diagram in the Dig Deeper. Write a narrative telling what it shows. Use your own words. How does it help explain the news article that you read on page 1? Use words to explain time or sequence, as needed.
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The solar eclipse diagram shows the alignment of the Sun, Moon, and Earth during a total solar eclipse. It depicts the Moon coming directly in between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow on Earth's surface. The diagram illustrates how the Moon blocks the Sun, causing darkness and a view of the Sun's corona.
This diagram helps explain the news article by visually demonstrating how a total solar eclipse occurs. It shows the rare alignment of the Sun, Moon, and Earth that creates a shadow on Earth during the eclipse. The diagram helps readers understand the science behind the event and how people in different parts of northern Europe were able to experience either a total or partial eclipse depending on their location.
By using the solar eclipse diagram in conjunction with the information in the news article, readers can better understand the significance of the event and how it impacted different regions in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The diagram adds a visual element to the article's explanation of the eclipse, helping to clarify the complex celestial phenomenon for readers.