Total solar eclipse is an event when Earth, Moon and the Sun are in one line and if seen from the Earth, Moon completely covers the Sun.
This phenomena is mere coincidence as the Moon is 400 times smaller than the Sun, but it is also 400 times closer to Earth than Sun. To know more about this click [Total Solar Eclipse is an extreme coincidence.]
But one day this phenomenon will be not possible, as the Moon is slowly moving away from the earth by 3.8 centimetres (about 1.5 inches) per year. On that day the apparent size of the Moon seen from Earth will be too small to cover the Sun completely. But moving just 3.8 centimetres per year, how long will it take the Moon to move far enough from the Earth that the total eclipse won't occur ever again? Well, that day is very close now and the day is (drum roll please) 600 million years from now.
Why is the moon moving away from the Earth?
The main reason for this is the Earth's tides. The Moon is orbiting the Earth by the gravitational force that the Earth exerts on it, but the moon also exerts a gravitational force on us and this is the reason for the formation of the tides in the oceans.
As the Earth is also spinning, these tides actually move slightly ahead of the Moon. Some of the energy from the spinning Earth gets transferred to tides through the friction. This will result in tides moving forward, keeping them ahead of the Moon. The tides feed a small amount of energy into the Moon, pushing it into a higher orbit. This is similar to a roundabout, the faster its spins the stronger the deeling of being slung away.
A total solar eclipse is visible from the Earth's surface about once every 18 months. However seeing one from a specific same location is very rare, because the moon's inner shadow, or umbra is relatively small which will limits the area from which the total eclipse is visible.
"You have to be on the sunny side of the planet, and you have to be in the path of the moon's shadow. So, if you find your area in the path of totality one year, you've hit the jackpot, because on average, that same spot on Earth will only get to see a solar eclipse every 375 years." NASA officials.
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