http://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/europes-solar-power-industry-braces-for-solar-eclipse/ar-BBhVbGi
Europe's Solar Power Industry Braces For Solar Eclipse
On the morning of March 20, 2015, a solar eclipse will pass over all of Europe, visible from Turkey to Greenland. A decade ago, that probably wouldn't have mattered to anyone except people who love astronomy (and all the schoolchildren building pinhole cameras to observe the sun.) But now, three percent of Europe's electricity grid comes from solar power, making the March event a proving ground for this renewable energy technology.
In the span of two hours, 35,000 megawatts of electricity will fade from the grid, and then return. To put that in perspective, a typical coal plant in the United States generates about 600 megawatts. The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) calls the eclipse an "unprecedented test for Europe's electricity system."
"It will have a cascading effect," ENTSO-E spokesperson Claire Camus told the Financial Times. "It's definitely going to be a challenge for control rooms."
Luckily, we've known about the solar eclipse for a while. For the past year, energy companies in Europe prepared for the event, and there is now a network of contacts among control rooms all over the continent, hoping to respond more effectively to problems (like power outages) caused by the eclipse.
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http://earthsky.org/tonight/supermoon-to-stage-total-eclipse-of-the-sun-on-march-20
Supermoon causes total eclipse of equinox sun on March 20
On March 20, 2015 – the same date as the equinox – the moon turns new only 14 hours after reaching lunar perigee – the moon's closest point to Earth in its orbit. Thus this moon is a supermoon – a new supermoon, not visible in our sky, but having a larger-than-average effect on Earth's oceans. Plus this new supermoon swings right in front of the sun so that the moon's shadow falls on parts of Earth. From high northern latitudes (near Greenland and Iceland), there is a total eclipse of the sun. A much larger swath of the world gets to see varying degrees of a partial solar eclipse (Greenland, Iceland, Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East and northwestern Asia).
What is a supermoon?
Remember to use proper eye protection if you want to observe this eclipse. The photo at the top of this post – by Flickr user David – shows how to safely watch a partial solar eclipse by the projection method.
Note on the worldwide map below that the path of totality (in blue) passes mainly over the frigid waters of North Atlantic Ocean. The path of totality starts at sunrise to the south of Greenland, circles to the east of Greenland and Iceland at midday, and ends to the north of Greenland at sunset. The best spots to watch this total solar eclipse from land are the Faroe Islands and the Svalbard archipelago, which reside right on the semi-circle path of totality.
(http://en.es-static.us/upl/2015/03/599px-SE2015Mar20T.png)
The path of the total solar eclipse (in blue) starts to the south of Greenland at sunrise and ends to the north of Greenland at sunset. A much larger part of the word (Greenland, Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East and northwestern Asia get to see a partial solar eclipse. Image via NASA eclipse web site
Total eclipse times from land on March 20, 2015
Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
Partial solar eclipse begins: 8:39 a.m. Western European Time (WET)
Total solar eclipse begins: 9:41 a.m. WET
Maximum eclipse: 9:42 a.m. WET
Total solar eclipse ends: 9:43 a.m. WET
Partial solar eclipse ends: 10:48 a.m. WET
Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Partial solar eclipse begins: 10:12 a.m. Central European Time (CET)
Total solar eclipse begins: 11:11 a.m. CET
Maximum eclipse: 11:12 a.m. CET
Total solar eclipse ends: 11:13 a.m. CET
Partial solar eclipse ends: 12:12 a.m. CET
Source: TimeandDate.com
SE2015Mar20T
You can obtain specific information on the partial eclipse in your part of the world at the following sites listed below. Most of these pages give the eclipse times in Universal Time, meaning you must convert Universal Time into your time. Below these links we list the local times of the partial solar eclipse for chosen localities in the eclipse zone.
TimeandDate.com – gives eclipse times in local time
HM Nautical Almanac – eclipse animations for 534 localities
Interactive Google map – information is just a click away
Solar eclipse computer – courtesy of the US Naval observatory
Partial solar eclipse in local time
Reykjavik, Iceland
Solar eclipse begins: 8:38 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Greatest eclipse: 9:37 a.m. GMT
Solar eclipse ends: 10:39 a.m. GMT
Maximum obscuration of solar disk: 98%
London, England
Solar eclipse begins: 8:25 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Greatest eclipse: 9:31 a.m. GMT
Solar eclipse ends: 10:41 a.m. GMT
Maximum obscuration of solar disk: 53%
Algiers, Algeria
Solar eclipse begins: 9:06 a.m. Central European Time (CET)
Greatest eclipse: 10:11 a.m. CET
Solar eclipse ends: 11:20 a.m. CET
Maximum obscuration of solar disk: 53%
Istanbul, Turkey
Solar eclipse begins: 10:53 p.m. Eastern European Time (EET)
Greatest eclipse: 11:57 a.m. EET
Solar eclipse ends: 1:02 p.m. EET
Maximum obscuration of solar disk: 32%
Moscow, Russia
Solar eclipse begins: 12:13 p.m. Moscow Standard Time (MST)
Greatest eclipse: 1:20 p.m. MST
Solar eclipse ends: 2:27 p.m. MST
Maximum obscuration of solar disk: 58%
TimeandDate.com – gives eclipse times in local time
HM Nautical Almanac – eclipse animations for 534 localities
Interactive Google map – information is just a click away
Solar eclipse computer – courtesy of the US Naval observatory
(http://en.es-static.us/upl/2014/10/partila-solar-eclipse-october-23.jpg)
When the new moon closely aligns with one of its nodes, the moon's dark umbral shadow falls on Earth, presenting a total eclipse of the sun.
What causes a solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse happens whenever the new moon passes in front of the sun, and the moon's shadow falls on our planet. A solar eclipse is only possible at new moon because that's the only time whereby the moon to go in front of the sun, as seen from Earth. Most of the time, however, the new moon either swings north or south of the solar disk, so no eclipse of the sun takes place.
The plane of the moon's orbit around Earth is inclined at 5o to the plane of the Earth's orbit around the sun. For half the month, the moon orbits Earth to the north of the ecliptic (Earth's orbital plane); and for the other half of the month, the moon orbits Earth to the south of the ecliptic (Earth's orbital plane). Twice a month, however, the moon crosses the Earth's orbital plane at points called nodes. If the moon is traveling from north to south, it's called a descending node, and when it's going from south to north, it's called an ascending node.
When a new moon happens while the moon is appreciably close to one of its nodes, a solar eclipse is not only possible – but inevitable. It's not a perfect alignment, though, as the moon reaches its descending node about 17 hours after the moon turns new. However, the new moon happens close enough to its node for the moon's dark umbral shadow to clip the northern reaches of the globe and for a total solar eclipse to take place at along a semi-circle path at far-northerly latitudes.
Bottom line: On March 20, 2015 the larger-than-average new supermoon swings right in front of the sun to totally block out the solar disk. Although you have to be at the just right spot on Earth to witness this total eclipse of the sun (Faroe Islands and the Svalbard archipelago), a much larger swath of the world gets to see varying degrees of a partial solar eclipse (Greenland, Iceland, Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East and northwestern Asia). Remember to use proper eye protection!
Imagine what would happen if a large super volcano erupted and cause Global Dimming for a few years
Bye Bye solar power
" 35,000 megawatts of electricity will fade from the grid, and then return "
Doesn't that happen every day (night)?
I agree or dark clouds/ thunderstorms?
Quote from: SerpUkhovian on March 02, 2015, 10:52:40 AM
" 35,000 megawatts of electricity will fade from the grid, and then return "
Doesn't that happen every day (night)?
Certainly was my first thought when I read this account! The only difference is......this will be only a 2 hour roll-on roll-off darkening instead of a full dark night period. So what's the big deal?? DUH!!!
I ask myself the same question but figured it might be some kind of technical issue that I didn't understand and one of you tech folk could address it..
do they still need tons of battery to hold the power..maybe that extra two hours puts a strain on their system..?
but don't they also have cloudy days over there?
ok I just don't get it... ::)
Quote from: space otter on March 02, 2015, 05:46:53 PM
I ask myself the same question but figured it might be some kind of technical issue that I didn't understand and one of you tech folk could address it..
do they still need tons of battery to hold the power..maybe that extra two hours puts a strain on their system..?
but don't they also have cloudy days over there?
ok I just don't get it... ::)
You do get it Otter!
Naturally if 35% of their power production comes from Solar sources, then during an Eclipse that power will be lost.
What occurs to replace it?
Aha! Do you think they may have Diesel Generator backups, Lithium Salt Solar storage cells, or some other sort of BACKUP SYSTEM?
Wouldn't therefore this be the first test of these systems, hence the worry, hence the anticipation of problems?
You had it right all along Otter! ;) :)