Across
- 6. - The weak or pale part of the moon’s shadow. From within the penumbra, the sun is only partially blocked by the moon.
- 8. - The maximum phase of a total solar eclipse, during which the moon’s disk completely covers the sun’s bright face. Totality occurs between second and third contact. It can last from a fraction of a second to a maximum of 7 minutes 31 seconds.
- 10. - The darkest part of the moon’s shadow within which the entirety of the sun’s bright face is blocked. Within this, the moon appears larger than the sun. An observer standing in this phase sees a total solar eclipse.
- 13. Plumes - Bright structures of outflowing gas that occur along magnetic field lines in coronal holes. These field lines extend into the solar system. Although plumes usually occur at the poles, they can appear anywhere there is a coronal hole.
- 14. Contact (C3) - The instant when the total or annular phase of a solar eclipse ends. For a total eclipse, this is synonymous with the appearance of
- 15. Obscuration - Measure of the sun’s surface area cut off from view (occulted) by the moon.
- 16. - An obscuring of the light from one celestial body by the passage of another between it and the observer or between it and its source of illumination.
- 18. Contact (C1) - The moment when the moon takes its first tiny nibble out of the solar disk - the beginning of the partial phase of an eclipse.
- 19. Contact (C2) - The instant when the total or annular phase of an eclipse begins. For a total eclipse, this is synonymous with the disappearance of the first diamond ring. At second contact during a total solar eclipse, darkness suddenly falls, but only to the level of deep twilight.
- 20. - The earth’s only natural satellite. It orbits at an average distance of 384,000 km and is about 30 times the diameter of the earth. Over time, earth’s gravity has caused tidal locking, causing the same side of this object to always face earth.
Down
- 1. Loops - Found around sunspots and in active regions. These structures are associated with the closed magnetic field lines which connect magnetic regions on the solar surface.
- 2. Streamers - Large caplike coronal structures with long pointed peaks that usually overlie sunspots and active regions. We often find a prominence or filament lying at the base of these structures.
- 3. - The lower atmosphere of the sun just above the photosphere that appears as a thin crimson ring around the edge of the sun during a total solar eclipse.
- 4. - The outermost layer of the solar atmosphere. This is made of a tenuous ionized gas called plasma with temperatures up to many millions of degrees Fahrenheit. It is visible to the naked eye only during a total solar eclipse.
- 5. Magnitude - The fraction of the sun’s diameter covered by the moon. It is a ratio of sun/moon diameters and should not be confused with
- 7. Contact (C4) - The instant when the moon no longer covers any part of the solar disk. This signals the conclusion of the partial phase of an eclipse.
- 9. - Structures in the corona consisting of cool plasma supported by magnetic fields. These are bright structures when seen over the solar limb, but appear dark when seen against the bright solar disk. This is seen on the disk and also known as filaments.
- 11. - Caused by shafts of sunlight shining through deep valleys on the lunar limb (edge), they look like a series of brilliant beads popping on and off. They appear just prior to second contact and just after third contact at annular and total solar eclipses. They are named after English astronomer, Francis Baily, who first described them during the annular eclipse of May 15, 1836.
- 12. - The maximum phase of an annular eclipse when the moon’s entire disk is seen silhouetted against the sun. Annularity occurs between second and third contact. It can last from a fraction of a second to a maximum of 12 minutes 30 seconds.
- 17. - Of or resembling the moon
- 19. - A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.