KOMPAS.com – When eclipse the sun occurs, there is something called umbra and penumbra. What are the umbra and penumbra and what is the difference between them? Here is the explanation!
When an eclipse occurs, two conical shadows are formed. The cause of the formation of two conical shadows, namely the umbra and penumbra, is that sunlight seems to come from one point and is then covered by the moon or the earth.
Umbra is the core image formed during an eclipse. Meanwhile, the penumbra is the shadow around the umbra that is formed during an eclipse.
Both, both have the shape of a cone, but are different from each other. The following is difference between umbra and penumbra!
Read also: Difference Between Penumbral Lunar Eclipse, Partial Lunar Eclipse, and Total Lunar Eclipse
The origin of the word
Umbra and penumbra are terms that come from Latin words. Umbra comes from the Latin word “umbra” which means shadow.
Meanwhile, the penumbra comes from the combination of the Latin words “paene” which means almost and “umbra”. That is, according to the Latin penumbra means almost a shadow. This is why the penumbra is said to have an imperfect shadow.
Darkness
The difference between the umbra and the penumbra is the degree of darkness. The umbral shadow is much darker and blacker than the penumbral shadow.
Because, the umbra is a direct shadow or shadow of the core of the object that covers the sun. Thus, in the umbra sunlight is almost completely blocked.
Read also: Difference Between Total, Partial and Annular Solar Eclipse
Meanwhile, the penumbra is a shadow that is not too dark. This is because the umbra is a blurred image and still receives little sunlight.
The farther the penumbra is from the umbra, the blurrier the image will be. On the other hand, the closer the penumbra is to the umbra, the darker the shadow will be.
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