On Monday, April 8, a solar eclipse is expected on Earth, lasting for over 5 hours. The longest phase, when the Moon will cover the Sun for 4.5 minutes, will be visible in Mexico. Additionally, residents of America and some islands in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans will be able to observe the total phase. However, Russians won’t have the opportunity to enjoy the eclipse.
According to the press service of the Moscow Planetarium, during the maximum phase of the eclipse, which will be observed at 21:17 Moscow time in Mexico, the Moon will completely cover the Sun for almost 4.5 minutes. During this time, the Sun’s corona will be visible around the fully covered disk of the Moon.
The solar eclipse, including partial phases, will last for over 5 hours—from 18:42 to 23:52 Moscow time. Today, the Moon will appear 1.0566 times larger than the Sun’s disk due to its proximity to Earth, allowing it to completely obscure the star, as reported by TASS.
The partial solar eclipse will begin in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and end in the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean. These phases will be visible in North and Central America, the eastern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, as well as some parts of Western Europe.
Solar and lunar eclipses occur every six months when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align in a straight line.
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