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An annular solar eclipse occurred during January 2010 with duration of annularity around 12 min. It is predicted that such long annular duration will not occur till the year 3043. Such prediction is possible due to
Explanation
The prediction of solar eclipses and their specific durations is a matter of celestial mechanics, which is fundamentally governed by Newton's theory of gravitation. Newton's laws allow for the precise calculation of the orbits of the Earth and Moon, accounting for their non-circular and non-planar paths [c2]. The annular eclipse of January 15, 2010, reached a maximum duration of approximately 11 minutes and 8 seconds, a feat of orbital alignment that will not be surpassed until December 23, 3043 [t1][t2]. While Einstein's theory of relativity was famously validated during a 1919 eclipse by measuring light bending [t6][t8], the routine prediction of eclipse timing and duration relies on Newtonian mechanics [t7]. These calculations involve the relative distances and apparent sizes of the Sun and Moon as they move through their respective gravitational paths [c5][t9].
Sources
- [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 19: The Motions of The Earth and Their Effects > Why not every full moon day a lunar eclipse? Why not every new moon day a solar eclipse? > p. 266
- [2] https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OH2010.html
- [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 19: The Motions of The Earth and Their Effects > 19.3. Eclipse > p. 257