Total solar eclipse on April 8: ISRO’s Aditya L1 won’t catch a glimpse, here’s why
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A total solar eclipse will be visible from parts of North America on April 8, when the Moon will pass directly between the Sun and the Earth, causing a complete blockage of light for a few minutes. However, it comes as a surprise that India’s Aditya L1 won’t be able to witness this total solar eclipse.
The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Aditya L1 mission is the country’s first solar-based mission, and is constantly studying the Sun. While Aditya L1 constantly monitors the star using its six tools, it won’t be able to witness the rare total solar eclipse.
The reason behind this is not because of any mistake or malfunction in Aditya L1, but actually due to its positioning on the orbit. The solar probe has been strategically placed 1.5 million km from Earth in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) between the Earth and the Sun.
“Aditya L1 spacecraft will not see the solar eclipse as the Moon is behind the spacecraft, at the Lagrange Point 1 (L1 point), the eclipse that is visible on Earth doesn’t have much significance at that location,” ISRO chairman S Somanath told NDTV.
This means that due to its position, it has an uninterrupted 24×7, 365-day view of the Sun. Aditya L1 has been placed so that its view of the Sun is never interrupted by any eclipse or space phenomena, which is why it won’t be able to catch a glimpse of the total solar eclipse tonight.
The total solar eclipse will only be visible from some countries in North America, and won’t be visible from India. The rare eclipse, however, can be viewed through multiple live streams on YouTube and social media. NASA will commence its live stream of the eclipse at 10:30 pm IST on its social media handles.
Total solar eclipse in US, Canada today
A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is completely between the Sun and the Earth, obstructing the view of the Sun from the planet. The corona (outer layer) of the Sun will also be visible from the Earth momentarily, shining bright while the moon blocks the star. The corona of the Sun, usually, is not visible from the Earth.
The solar eclipse will only be visible from certain countries in North America, such as the United States, Mexico and Canada. It will be visible from major cities such as Buffalo, Dallas, Cleveland, Lancaster and Little Rock.
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