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A total solar eclipse is an amazing spectacle with the sun appearing to move exactly behind the moon for a few moments, with the view of the moon seeming to perfectly overlap the sun.
But how perfect is this coverage? Is the view of the moon slightly larger than that of the sun or vice versa? In other words, exactly how perfect is a total solar eclipse as viewed from earth?
To answer this question you will need to work out the apparent size or angular diameter of the sun and the moon as viewed from Earth, using the following astronomical data:
Radius of the sun: $695,500$ km
Radius of the moon: $1,737$ km
Radius of the earth: $6,371$ km
Smallest distance between Earth and Sun $147,098,074$ km
Largest distance between Earth and Sun $152,097,701$ km
Smallest distance between Moon and Earth $356,375$ km
Largest distance between Moon and Earth $406,720$ km
Here are some issues to consider:
Extension:
Could other planets have perfect eclipses? To help you address this question you can consider the following data for the moons of other planets in the solar system.