Introduce the hands-on activity and discuss safety precautions.ĭraw an image of the sun that is 40 centimeters (15.7 inches) in diameter on the board. What is the sun’s photosphere? (the bright, everyday surface of the sun)ģ.
What is the sun’s corona? (the sun’s outer atmosphere).What is totality? What’s the maximum amount of time totality lasts? (Totality is the period when the sun, moon, and Earth come into perfect alignment.Why is Earth the only planet in the solar system that experiences total solar eclipses? (The ratio of size and distance between the sun and Earth creates a perfect situation where the moon completely blocks out the solar surface.).Show students the video clip from National Geographic Channel’s “Staring at the Sun.” We are able to view the heliosphere, the outer layer of the sun.Ģ. When the sun is only partially blocked by the moon's shadow (the penumbra), a portion of the sun's disk is visible. The sun’s corona, or halo, is visible during those few minutes that the sun's bright light is totally obscured by the moon. On Earth, we see the moon's shadow (the umbra), which fully blocks the sun. Explain that a solar eclipse occurs when the moon is in a position directly between the Earth and the sun.
Ask students to analyze the diagram and describe what happens during a solar eclipse in their own words. Introduce solar eclipses and related vocabulary.ĭisplay the diagram of a solar eclipse.
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