People in the penumbra of an eclipse see a partial eclipse.
They are the penumbra (think of a large circle) and the umbra (think of a small, darker circle in the center of the large circle). People who have the penumbra only pass over them see a partial eclipse. People who have the umbra pass over them see a total eclipse.
You're on exactly the right track, and you're thinking exactly right.But it's not exactly the "moon's" penumbra ... it's the penumbra ofthe moon's shadow.
The "penumbra" or outer shadow is the area of a shadow from which part of the light source, but not all of it, is visible.For a total solar eclipse, the regions where the Moon's shadow only partially covers the Sun is called the penumbra. Areas where the maximum shadow occurs, where the Moon is centered on the Sun, is the umbra. An eclipse where the Moon does not cover the entire Sun is called an annular eclipse, and the shadow area is called the antumbra.
The umbra in a shadow is the portion where light from a source is completely blocked. This is in the middle of the shadow. The area around this, where light from part, but not all of the source shines is called the penumbra. In the shadow cast by the moon in an eclipse, the penumbra is the partial shadow that occurs before the total eclipse, and the umbra is the 'total eclipse' portion
during an eclipse
They are the penumbra (think of a large circle) and the umbra (think of a small, darker circle in the center of the large circle). People who have the penumbra only pass over them see a partial eclipse. People who have the umbra pass over them see a total eclipse.
You will see a partial eclipse if you are in the penumbra.
Penumbra, the part outside the Umbra. In the Penumbra you see the sun with a bite taken out of it, but you still get daylight.
Yes, it is possible to see a total or partial solar eclipse on earth in an area within the penumbra.
To see a total solar eclipse, yes. However, you need only be in the penumbra to see a partial eclipse.
You're on exactly the right track, and you're thinking exactly right.But it's not exactly the "moon's" penumbra ... it's the penumbra ofthe moon's shadow.
Not all light is being blocked ..
Please note that in a penumbra lunar eclipse there is nothing to see; nothing spectacular. If you look at the Moon, you might not even notice that there is an eclipse going on; it will just get a bit darker (more on one side than on the other). There was a penumbra eclipse on 25 May 2013; there is going to be another one on 18 October 2013.
Definitely not! Two people standing right next to each other will generally have the same view, but if two people are a mile apart, its' possible that one will experience a total solar eclipse while the other will see only a partial eclipse. For people who are right on the edge of the path of totality, it's possible to do an interesting experiment; line up a set of telescopes every 10 yards or so, connected to photosensors and highly accurate clocks. Measure the precise time at which the Sun flickers into view through the valleys in the mountains on the Moon, and you can create amazingly accurate elevation maps of the lunar mountains.
Short answer: True. Long answer: not entirely true as follows: The eclipse event as a whole is visible to anyone within either the umbra or the penumbra, however it appears as truly total only to those within the umbra. That is, those who are not in the umbra are seeing an event that will be called a "total eclipse", just not optimally, as it will appear only partial to them.
By definition, they are the only ones that cannot see any part of the Sun as the Moon passes in front of it. As opposed to "penumbra"... or partial solar eclipse.
Isay it is penumbra