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ĐỌC HIỂU
ĐỌC HIỂU
ĐỌC HIỂU
Eclipses
The world eclipse refers to astronomical occasion when the light of one celestial object is
partly or completely blocked by the shadow of another object. Eclipses are usually
classified as solar or lunar. They occur as often as seven times in a year.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. It partly or
totally blocks the Earth’s view of the Sun. This happens when the Moon is exactly
between the Sun and the Earth. A solar eclipse can only occur when the Moon is a new
moon. Thousands of years ago, solar eclipse were terrifying events because everything
went dark and no one could understand why. Today, solar eclipses are no longer
frightening, and hundreds of people do travel to areas where a solar eclipse is occurring.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the Sun is completely blocked by the Moon and only a
faint corona can be seen. It is rare and usually lasts for a few minutes. A partial eclipse
occurs when the Moon covers parts of the Sun. The longest solar eclipses occur when the
Earth is farthest from the Sun, making the solar disc smaller and the Moon is at closest to
the Earth, making the Moon’s diameter larger.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through a part of the Earth’s shadow. The
earliest recorded lunar eclipse happened on March 19, 721 B.C. A lunar eclipse can only
occur with a full moon and when the Sun, Earth and Moon are in a single line. The
shadow of the Earth is divided into two parts. The outer part of the shadow is called the
penumbra. In the penumbra, the Earth can block only part of the Sun’s rays which reach
the Moon. A penumbral eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth’s
penumbra. The inner part is the umbra, a region where the Earth blocks all the direct
sunlight. When the Moon travels completely under the Earth’s umbra, the Moon partly
disappears or has a red glow.