Lyn Paulson, age 12, of Newport news, Va., For his question:

How long does an eclipse last?

A total solar eclipse can be seen from only a narrow path along the earth. The dark disk of the moon creeps gradually across the sun, blotting out its brilliant face. At the time of total eclipse, the sun is hidden completely, the world becomes dark and stars can be seen in the sky.

This period of darkness, however, is never longer than a few minutes. Total eclipse of the sun can be as long as seven minutes and 30 seconds, but this does not often occur. As a rule, the sun begins to peep out from behind the moon after perhaps two to five minutes.