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Penumbra
(redirected from penumbral)

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penumbra (pĭnŭm`brə): see eclipse eclipse [Gr.,=failing], in astronomy, partial or total obscuring of one celestial body by the shadow of another. Best known are the lunar eclipses, which occur when the earth blocks the sun's light from the moon, and solar eclipses, occurring when the moon blocks the
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; sunspots sunspots, dark, usually irregularly shaped spots on the sun's surface that are actually solar magnetic storms. The Chinese recorded dark features on the sun seen with the naked eye in 28 B.C.
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.
penumbra
1. a fringe region of half shadow resulting from the partial obstruction of light by an opaque object
2. Astronomy the lighter and outer region of a sunspot
3. Painting the point or area in which light and shade blend

penumbra [pə′nəm·brə]
(astronomy)
The outer, relatively light part of a sunspot.
(optics)
That portion of a shadow illuminated by only part of a radiating source.

Penumbra 

the space between regions of total shadow and total light formed behind an opaque body illuminated by a light source whose dimensions are comparable both with the dimensions

Figure 1

of the body and with the distance from the light source to the body (see Figure 1). Only part of the light source is visible in the penumbra; the light source is not visible in the umbra and is completely visible in the region of total light. The point of observation of a partial solar eclipse is within the penumbra formed by the moon as illuminated by the sun.



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