You may have heard that a total solar eclipse happens only once every few years. Well, it’s not true! A permanent solar eclipse happens when the moon completely blocks the Sun for minutes. Many other solar eclipses occur every year, but not all of them are visible from Earth.
It means that during one moment, there will be no light to illuminate an area and make it appear like the Sun, and at the same time, nothing will be hidden from view. As a result, the area in which the eclipse occurs is known as the ecliptic (the path of the Sun across the sky). So what if there was a permanent solar eclipse? Would it make life more enjoyable? And what would happen to our world if we caught one on film? Let’s explore.
What Is a Solar Eclipse?
A solar eclipse is when the moon entirely covers the Sun. There are many different types of a solar eclipse, but a permanent total solar eclipse happens when the moon completely covers the Sun for minutes. During a total solar eclipse, the Earth is between the Sun and the moon, so we can only see its shadow on the Earth.
As the moon completely covers the Sun, we only see it from the Earth’s surface, not the Sun itself. A solar eclipse is a total lunar eclipse, as the moon’s shadow falls on the Earth.
How Does a Solar Eclipse Work?
During a solar eclipse, the moon’s shadow moves across the Earth every month, and stuff like dust and dirt get cast into the air. Because there is no light reaching the Earth from the moon during this time, we are left with no light to illuminate the Earth and make it look like the Sun. The solar eclipse effect looks like this: The Earth is covered in shadow, and the light from the Sun is blocked out.
As the side facing away from the Sun is now hidden from view, the side facing towards it is in shadow too, making the Earth look quite dark. It causes darkness on the opposite side of the Earth from where the solar eclipse occurs. It is also called a solar penumbra, and it is what is blocking out the Sun for the duration of the solar eclipse.
Here’s What Would Happen if a Permanent Solar Eclipse Took Place
Well, a total solar eclipse would be awe-inspiring and exciting. The only problem is that it happens only once every few years, and we are not even remotely close to having one. The next best thing would be to have a permanent total solar eclipse, but we don’t live in a world where that happens. A permanent total solar eclipse would be so exciting, but it would also be a relatively rare event, occurring an average of once every 105 years.
So, while a permanent solar eclipse would be exciting, it is much more common to have a monthly total solar eclipse. The only time we get a monthly total solar eclipse is every year, which only lasts for a few minutes.
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What Are the Benefits of a Permanent Solar Eclipse?
One of the main advantages of a permanent solar eclipse is that it would mean that we would not need to worry about the sun setting during the winter months. It is because the day would be completely dark during this period, which would allow us to test out our vigil lights safely!
It would save us from the dangerous fireworks displays that many countries are trialling during this time. We would also not need to put up with the bright lights and crazy crowds that come with the winter solstice, which are risks of a monthly total solar eclipse.
The Risks of a Permanent Solar Eclipse
Another risk of a permanent solar eclipse is that it would be incredibly dark everywhere on Earth. We would experience a hazardous scenario where the only thing that we would be able to see is fire. It is not the kind of thing we want our lit-up cityscapes to turn into. It would be a good idea to stay at least 50km from the centre of any city where a total solar eclipse occurs. Additionally, there would also be a risk of fire in unpatrolled areas.
This risk would only increase as we move towards the centre of cities, as many street lights have been switched off during the duration of a solar eclipse. The fire risks would also increase along with the fatalities, as many households would not have access to electric candles or fireplaces during a solar eclipse. If a house goes up in flames, the owner would have to be carried out on a stretcher, as the house would be virtually intangible.
So, What Does a Permanently-Occurring Solar Eclipse Look Like?
A permanent solar eclipse would be similar to a monthly total, with one significant difference. During a monthly total solar eclipse, the moon is still up in the sky, so there is still a chance for people in areas that can see the Sun catch a glimpse of its face. A monthly total solar eclipse is so exciting: it is a once-in-a-year event when people in many areas can witness a rare event and get a lasting reminder of why we celebrate the solstice each year.
On the other hand, a permanent solar eclipse would be continuous and occur whenever the moon is between 11 and 14 days old. It is because the moon’s orbit around the Earth is precisely 11 days old at the time of a solar eclipse, giving it a perfectly circular path around the Earth.
How Long Would It Last?
At its maximum, the duration of a permanent solar eclipse would be around three hours and thirty minutes, but this would only happen when the Sun and the moon are exactly 1.5 times the size of Earth. At these times, the Earth is between 9.81 and 10.22 times the distance from the Sun, so it is relatively close to being a perfect planet.
At other times, during an eclipse when Earth is much further away, the duration is much shorter, lasting for just a few seconds. It also happens when the Earth is much further away, which means that it would only last for a few seconds for people sitting in ships or aircraft.
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How Would It Change Our World?
We usually associate total eclipses with the destruction of cities, but a permanent total solar eclipse could be a fascinating thing for our world. During this time, no one could see the Earth and would be left with no light to illuminate their way. In this dark state, they would not be able to see the trees, the buildings, or the animals, so life as we know it would not exist.
The only light source would be the Sun, which would look like a very bright light. The only way to see this would be to be in a very dark place with no other light sources. It would be very dark, and almost no one could see anything. There would be no sunlight, just a meagre amount of illumination from the Sun.
People Are Going To Drive in the Night Lighted Car
The most obvious response is that people will drive in the night-lighted car. You can expect traffic jams and long delays if people cannot see correctly and drive in low light conditions. People who cannot drive in darkness may find themselves stranded in the car or on the roadside if there is a long wait for the lights to be re-energized.
Even if you have a headlight, you cannot see the other side of the road while driving at night. If there is no traffic on the road, you will likely miss out on seeing the whole, awe-inspiring beauty of the night sky. You may also miss out on some of the event’s more interesting, constellational aspects. Make sure everyone has had a chance to look up and see the Milky Way and the stars after the Sun has gone down.
People Are Going To Turn On the Lights in Their Houses
This one is more of a no-brainer. If people can see, the first thing that comes to mind is that they will turn on the lights in their houses. The reason for this is simple: the lack of light from the house will be reflected into the room through the windows and doors. If people can see correctly again, they will wonder what the darkness in the room is all about.
They will likely turn on the lights in the room, and the bathroom, if they can see them. It is also likely that they will turn on the lights in their cars while they are at home. It will result in a lot of unnecessary electricity being consumed.
People Will Run Around in T-Shirts and Shorts
If people can see correctly again, they will start to notice that the darkness is not something that they will all be able to run around in for a couple of hours. People will start to notice that their T-shirts and shorts are not as dark as before and wonder how they got that colour on their bodies. It could lead to some interesting conversations and exciting connections with other people.
People will start to wonder why their clothes feel so strange and heavy on their bodies. It could lead to exciting discussions about body image and people’s pressures on themselves to fit into certain types of clothes.
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People Will Be Visible for an Hour or Two During the Eclipse
People will start to notice that the darkness is not something that they can turn on the lights and expect them to come back on themselves. People will start to notice that the darkness has spread outside the rooms they are in and are now outside. The fact that people can be present while the darkness is present is a privilege. If people cannot be present while a solar eclipse takes place, they cannot experience the event.
People will start to notice that the skies have turned dark and wonder why they cannot see what is happening outside. It is likely the most common response: People cannot see the Sun for at least an hour and a half during a total eclipse. There will be very few people around to witness the event. It is likely to be a rather dark and scary experience for anyone out when it happens.
It is likely the most common response: People cannot see the Sun for at least an hour and a half during a total eclipse. There will be very few people around to witness the event. It is likely to be a rather dark and scary experience for anyone out when it happens.
Jongsun Lee / Unsplash
Burning Trees
This one might surprise you. It might be the most common response to the idea of a solar eclipse. It is going to be dark. People are going to be in the trees or on the roof or in the backyard or in the woods or wherever they can find some light. People are going to scream and burn the trees. They are going to run for their lives and hide in the house.
Conclusion
A solar eclipse occurs when the Earth is between the Sun and the moon. When this occurs, the SunSun’sght cannot reach the Earth, so the Earth is bathed in darkness, and the only light source is from the Sun. A solar eclipse lasts for three minutes, during which time nothing can be seen on the Earth except for the Sun.
It is a rare occurrence and one that would only happen once every ten years. If a solar eclipse were to occur permanently, it would change our world in ways we would probably not expect.
