Charles Broach, age 15, of Florence, S.C., for his question:

DOES A SOLAR ECLIPSE EVER APPEAR OVER THE OCEAN?

Without a doubt, the most dramatic heavenly spectacle seen from the earth is a total solar eclipse. Unfortunately, it can be seen only by a limited number of people. For it travels fast and far along a narrow, curved path. And since most of the earth's surface is covered by water, most of the average eclipse is visible only over the ocean.

In 1961 a total solar eclipse first became visible from the Atlantic Ocean, just north of northern Spain. From there its path swept eastward along the northern shores of the Mediterranean, curved up through central Europe and ended in northern Asia. Almost all the path of visibility was from the vast land mass of Eurasia. This was unusual because, as a rule, the major part of an eclipse path passes over the ocean.

    A solar eclipse occurs when the new moon passes

directly between the earth and sun.At such times, the moon's shadow races at perhaps 2,000 m.p.h. over the earth's surface. Its path is curved, and though several thousand miles long it is never wider than 168 miles. Since the wobbly moon orbits toward the east, its shadow travels eastward across the earth's surface.

The sun's actual diameter is 400 times wider than that of the moon, but the sun happens to be 400 times farther away. This geometric coincidence makes the sun and moon appear to be the same size as viewed from the earth. And this is what makes the total solar eclipse possible. It occurs when the dark disk of the moon completely blots out the dazzling face of the sun.

The dramatic event lasts no longer than about seven minutes  and may be seen only by observers along the narrow path of the eclipse. Naturally, the heavenly bodies involved care nothing for the fact that most of the earth is covered by water. Which is why most of the average eclipse is wasted on ships at sea.

The next total solar eclipse will occur on Oct. 12, 1977. Its path will begin in the middle of the north Pacific ocean and swoop down to South America. Hence, most of the dramatic spectacle will be visible, as usual, from out on the ocean.  All of us landlubbers find this regrettable. Astronomers find it downright inconvenient, for their sensible equipment is far more stable on the solid land than it is on the deck of a rocking ship.