Solar eclipse

About: Solar eclipse is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2737 publications have been published within this topic receiving 22625 citations.

On the Totality of the Eclipse in AD 628 in the Nihongi

Abstract: It is widely accepted that the solar eclipse on AD 628 April 10 (the reign of Empress Suiko, 36th year, 3rd month, 2nd day) recorded in the Nihongi (日本書紀) was not total, but partial at the site of observation, though it is written as an exhausted eclipse. A contemporary Japanese occultation observation on AD 681 November 3 is also suspected as being a missing of Mars in the glaring light of the Moon. We suggest in this paper that both records in the Nihongi may be true. Several reasonings are put forward. We then point out the possibility that the value of ∆T at around AD 600 is about 2000s which is far less than 4500s, the value adopted by Stephenson (1997, Historical Eclipses and Earth’s Rotation). Lunar grazing occultation data are found to be very useful.

Satellite observations of surface temperature during the March 2015 total solar eclipse

Abstract: The behaviour of remotely sensed land surface temperatures (LSTs) from the spinning-enhanced visible and infrared imager (SEVIRI) during the total solar eclipse of 20 March 2015 is analysed over Europe. LST is found to drop by up to several degrees Celcius during the eclipse, with the minimum LST occurring just after the eclipse mid-point (median=+1.5 min). The drop in LST is typically larger than the drop in near-surface air temperatures reported elsewhere, and correlates with solar obscuration ( r =−0.47; larger obscuration = larger LST drop), eclipse duration ( r =−0.62; longer duration = larger LST drop) and time ( r =+0.37; earlier eclipse = larger LST drop). Locally, the LST drop is also correlated with vegetation (up to r =+0.6), with smaller LST drops occurring over more vegetated surfaces. The LSTs at locations near the coast and at higher elevation are also less affected by the eclipse. This study covers the largest area and uses the most observations of eclipse-induced surface temperature drops to date, and is the first full characterization of satellite LST during an eclipse (known to the author). The methods described could be applied to Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) LST data over North America during the August 2017 total solar eclipse. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Atmospheric effects of solar eclipses stimulated by the 2015 UK eclipse’.

Spectroscopic Coronal Observations during the Total Solar Eclipse of 11 July 2010

Abstract: The flash spectrum of the solar chromosphere and corona was measured with a slitless spectrograph before, after, and during the totality of the solar eclipse, of 11 July 2010, at Easter Island, Chile. This eclipse took place at the beginning of the Solar Cycle 24, after an extended minimum of solar activity. The spectra taken during the eclipse show a different intensity ratio of the red and green coronal lines compared with those taken during the total solar eclipse of 1 August 2008, which took place towards the end of the Solar Cycle 23. The characteristic coronal forbidden emission line of forbidden Fe XIV (5303 A) was observed on the east and west solar limbs in four areas relatively symmetrically located with respect to the solar rotation axis. Subtraction of the continuum flash-spectrum background led to the identification of several extremely weak emission lines, including forbidden Ca XV (5694 A), which is normally detected only in regions of very high excitation, e.g., during flares or above large sunspots. The height of the chromosphere was measured spectrophotometrically, using spectral lines from light elements and compared with the equivalent height of the lower chromosphere measured using spectral lines from heavy elements.