20090722 -- Get Ready for Unusual Darkness (1)

Get Ready for Unusual Darkness!

Watch the sun go dark in the middle of the day
Ready or not, a total solar eclipse will occur today where people in Asia can see it.

What causes a solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the earth and the sun. This always happens during a new moon, but the angle of the moon's orbit keeps an eclipse from occurring every month. About twice a year, the earth and moon's orbits line up so that the moon's shadow falls somewhere on the earth's surface. That is when a solar eclipse occurs.

What is special about this eclipse?
This particular eclipse is special because it will be the longest total solar eclipse in this century. No one alive today will see a longer eclipse as the next long one will not occur until June 13,2132.

The route of the moon's umbral shadow will start in India and cut through Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and mainland China. It will then cross Japan's Ryukyu Islands and curve southeast through the Pacific Ocean. It is there that the longest time of total darkness will occur - 6 minutes and 39 seconds. Those places not in direct path will see a partial eclipse from the moon's penumbral shadow.


solar adj. 太陽的
=> the sun
eg: Solar rays are strongest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
eg: solar power 太陽能

eclipse n. 日食或月食的食
=> something in the sky usually reflects light, it's covered up and becomes dark
solar eclipse 日食
lunar eclipse 月食
partial eclipse of the sun 日偏食
total eclipse of the sun 日全食
eg: In 2010, two solar eclipses will occur.
eg: This Saturday there will be a partial eclipse of the sun.

eclipse v. 蝕/遮蔽
eg: The moon will be partially eclipsed this Friday night.

orbit n. 軌道
eg: The Earth's orbit around the sun is almost a perfect circle.
eg: The satellite was successfully lauched into the orbit of Mars.
eg: The spacecraft will be in orbit around the moon at 16:00.

orbit v. 繞軌道運行
eg: The shuttle is orbiting around the earth right now.

partial adj. 局部的
eg: Andrew could only give a partial description of the accident.

line up 排成一列/排隊
eg: The teacher told kids to line up before leaving the classroom.
eg: The librarian(圖書館員) is lining up the books in alphabetical order on the shelves.

umbral adj. (天) 本影的
=> the darkest part of the shadow

penumbral adj. 半陰影的
=> a partial shadow

//== Chat room ==//

once in a blue moon 很難得/千載難逢的
=> a long period of time

reach for the moon 試圖做很困難的/不可能完成的事
= reach the stars
=> trying to achieve for something that is very difficult

ask for the moon 做出不實際的要求
promise someone the moon 做出不實際的承諾
=> promise something that is impossible

//== More Info ==//

Several tour companies specialize in taking people into moon's umbral path to experience a total solar eclipse. One such company takes views on a 14-night tour to Polynesia where the grand finale is watching a three and a half minute total eclipse.
Another company takes eclipse viewers to China, where they stay on Emei Shan - a mountain which lies in the cener of the UMBRAL path - for FIVE full minutes of daytime darkness.

//== Grammer on the go ==//

The route of the moon's umbral shadow will start in India and cut through Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and mainland China. It will then cross Japan's Ryukyu Islands and curve southeast through the Pacific Ocean.

uses different verbs : start, cut through, cross and curve
rather than just say go through

The author uses different verbs to make the route come alive in the article

zigzags, hugs, loops, snakes, winds

eg:
A road could zigzag its way through the forest.
A river can snake its way through the hills.
A path can hug the base of a mountain.