Researchers from NASA (United States Space Agency) have developed a new method for generating maps of the Moon’s shadow path during eclipses .
Previous mapping, done using a technique developed 200 years ago, assumed that all observers were at sea level and that the natural satellite was a perfectly symmetrical smooth sphere, ignoring the elevations of the Earth and the irregularity of the Moon’s cratered surface.
The method was described in an article published last Thursday (19) in the magazine The Astronomical Journal and suggests that the maps incorporate lunar topography and elevation data obtained by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) satellite.
The visualizations made by the researchers provide extremely precise information about the umbra — the region of Earth that lies under the shadow cast by the Moon — and the predicted path of the natural satellite as it crosses the face of the Earth during the eclipse.
Through these calculations, the effects of the lunar limb — the edge of the Moon observed from Earth, which defines its circular shape — and the irregularities of the Earth’s terrain were accurately predicted.
“Starting with the 2017 total solar eclipse, we have been publishing eclipse maps and movies that show the true shape of the Moon’s central shadow – the umbra,” said viewer Ernie Wright, who works at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Unlike the traditional method created 200 years ago, the new way formats eclipse maps pixel by pixel, in the same way that 3D animation software creates its images.
Find out what is myth and what is truth about humans going to the Moon
This content was originally published in NASA develops new technique to map eclipse routes; find out more on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Charles Grill is a tech-savvy writer with over 3 years of experience in the field. He writes on a variety of technology-related topics and has a strong focus on the latest advancements in the industry. He is connected with several online news websites and is currently contributing to a technology-focused platform.
