A solar eclipse, which is the only acceptable way to propose to an astronomer, is a fairly uncommon event which occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. Although the Moon is much smaller than the Sun, it is able to completely block the Sun because it is much closer to the Earth. There are four types of solar eclipses: total, partial, annular, and hybrid.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon completely blocks sunlight from reaching a part of the Earth. The shadow created by the Moon is called an umbra, and it covers a small portion of the Earth, traveling along the ground as the Earth rotates. The amount of time that the Sun is completely blocked is referred to as the period of totality.
A partial solar eclipse takes place when the Moon partially blocks the Sun’s light from reaching the Earth. In the case of partial eclipses, the Moon’s shadow is a penumbra, and can be visible across large portions of the Earth’s surface. Even during total eclipse events, most areas will only experience a partial eclipse.
An annular solar eclipse is an eclipse which occurs when the Moon is at or near its farthest point from the Earth in its orbit (the Moon varies in distance from the Earth, fluctuating between 362,600 km and 405,400 km away from the Earth), causing the sun to not be fully obscured by the Moon. This occurs because the umbra is projected no longer than 379,000 km from the Moon. During these eclipses, an annulus, or ring of fire, appears around the Moon.
Hybrid solar eclipses are created when the Moon’s orbital distance is near the umbra’s distance limit. During a hybrid eclipse, the Moon at first is too far away from the Earth to create a total eclipse, causing an annular eclipse. Further along the eclipse path, the Moon draws closer to the Earth, leading to a total eclipse. Hybrid eclipses are the rarest form of eclipse.
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Stars on our Helmets, Stars in the Sky 
