Lunar and solar eclipses occur with about equal frequency. Without the tilt, lunar eclipses would occur every month. But lunar eclipses do not occur every month because the Moon's orbit is tilted five degrees from Earth's orbit around the Sun, so most of the time the Moon passes above or below the shadow. Lunar eclipses can happen only when the Moon is opposite the Sun in the sky, a monthly occurrence we know as a full Moon. When Earth passes directly between Sun and Moon, its shadow creates a lunar eclipse. When the Moon passes between Sun and Earth, the lunar shadow is seen as a solar eclipse on Earth. įrom our perspective on Earth, two types of eclipses occur: lunar, the blocking of the Moon by Earth's shadow, and solar, the obstruction of the Sun by the Moon. The Moon is slightly tinted when it passes through the light outer portion of the shadow, the penumbra, but turns dark red as it passes through the central portion of the shadow, called the umbra. This illustration shows the Moon passing through Earth's shadow during a typical lunar eclipse. What is the difference between a lunar and a solar eclipse? The Moon is a bit farther from Earth than average, so a ring of sunlight encircles the Moon as it passes between Earth and Sun. Depending on how much of the Sun is obscured, the sky may turn dusky and temperatures may drop. The Moon covers only part of the Sun, so the Sun remains visible. ![]() The Moon passes between Earth and Sun, completely covering the Sun’s disk along a narrow path. ![]() The Moon is completely covered by Earth’s dark inner shadow, turning the lunar surface dark orange or red.Įarth’s shadow covers only part of the lunar disk, so it looks as though something has taken a bite out of it. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through Earth's shadow, fully or partially darkening the lunar disk. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, fully or partially obscuring the Sun's disk. An eclipse is the result of the total or partial masking of a celestial body by another along an observer's line of sight.
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