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15 interesting facts about solar eclipses
1. The longest eclipse of this century occurred on 22 July 2009, it was observed in India, Nepal, Bhutan and China. The duration of this eclipse was 6 minutes 29 seconds.
2. The shadow of the moon during the eclipse moves across the surface of the Earth at a speed of 2,000 meters per second.
3. Before completely hidden behind the moon, on the edge of the solar disk are clearly visible "rays" and a variety of education. This is due to the fact that the sun's rays are nearly parallel to the surface of the moon, reflected lingering on uneven lunar soil - craters and mountains.
4. The foregoing feature is often used in love young people, to offer his hand and heart of his lady, in fact view of the sky is very similar to an engagement ring with a stone.
5. Beauty and "accuracy" of the solar eclipse due to the wonderful coincidence - the diameter of the sun is 400 times larger than the diameter of the moon, and the distance to it is 400 times larger than the moon.
6. The Earth - the only place in the solar system, where you can observe the total solar eclipse
7. The Chinese character for the designation of a solar eclipse - Shi - means "to eat." In ancient China, it was believed that the solar eclipse dog eats the sun, so all the people began intensively to beat the drums and other loud noises to issue to the beast belched light back into the sky.
8. As well as China found the oldest mention of a solar eclipse, which date back to at least 1050 BC.
9. Comparing the data from the Chinese ancient sources and modern observations, the astronomers determined by complex calculations that for three thousand years, the duration of the day increased by 0.047 seconds.
10. The inertia of the oceans except the slowing rotation of the Earth leads to separation of the Moon from the Earth. It is estimated that over 600 million years of the Earth's moon itself apart so that it will not be enough for the "closing" of the sun, so solar eclipses stop.
11. anywhere on Earth solar eclipse can be seen on average once in 360 years
12. But there are special places on Earth, such as in Illionoyse Carbondale, United States - where the eclipse is scheduled August 21, 2017 and 8 April 2024, that is, with a gap of just seven years!
13. During the lunar eclipse the Moon forms a visible red aura of the fact that the sun's rays on the way to the Moon passes through the Earth's atmosphere.
14. The Canadian astronomer John. Campbell 50 years of his life spent, 'kollektsioniruya "different types of eclipses. He wanted to see 12 different types of events, and each time the sky was covered by dense clouds :(
15. In the records of Columbus described the case as a lunar eclipse helped the Mariners. During the conflict with the local population sailor threatened to disappear from the sky the moon, if they do not continue to supply them with food. It was at this time there was a lunar eclipse, and the frightened natives decided to collaborate with the "mighty strangers." Knowledge - force!
A selection sent Mitya Sapegin
via factroom.ru