At 12:06 p.m. today,near Eagle Pass, Texas, Earth will experience a complete solar eclipse. Watchers have already been told not to look directly at the sun without the appropriate eye protection. We’ve seen images of the sun, and people dancing to dance house and techo remixes, but you never hear about the gravitational impact on Earth. So, are there gravitational impacts on the planet? You decide.

The gravitational impact of a solar eclipse on Earth is very subtle. Here’s what we know:

• Slight Decrease: Some studies suggest a minuscule decrease in Earth’s gravity during a total eclipse, measurable in micro-gals (millionths of the standard acceleration due to gravity). This is likely due to the Moon’s position relative to Earth, not a shielding effect.
• Uncertainties: There are ongoing debates about the exact effects and the possibility of other factors influencing the measurements.
• Not noticeable: The change in gravity is far too small to have any noticeable effect on tides, human movement, or anything else in our daily lives.

However, solar eclipses have played a role in our understanding of gravity:

• Light Bending: The slight bending of light by the Sun’s gravity is more noticeable during a solar eclipse, as astronomers can observe the displaced positions of stars near the Sun. This helped confirm Einstein’s theory of general relativity. – SP

–