Plan to wash lots of clothes if you travel the world. (Photo: George Doyle/Stockbyte/Getty Images ) Phileas Fogg took 80 days to travel the world to win a bet. Nellie Bly beat that record by eight days to prove the resourcefulness of solo female travelers. Neither the fictional Fogg nor the ...
It is a popular misconception that the phenomenon of a total eclipse of the sun is a rare occurrence. Quite the contrary. Approximately once every 18 months (on average) a total solar eclipse is visible from some place on the Earthâs surface. That's two totalities for every three years.
A penumbral eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the Earth's penumbra. The penumbra causes a subtle darkening of the moon's surface. A special type of penumbral eclipse is a total penumbral eclipse, during which the Moon lies exclusively within the Earth's penumbra. Total penumbral eclipses are rare, and when these occur, that portion of the moon which is closest to the umbra can appear somewhat darker than the rest of the moon.