Subsection 12.2.2 Eclipse
An eclipse occurs when an astronomical object is temporarily obscured, either partially or completely, by another object [The Lunar and Solar Eclipses]. The two main types of eclipses are solar eclipses and lunar eclipses. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, blocking the Sun’s light and creating a shadow on the Earth. There are three types of solar eclipses: total, partial, and annular. During a total solar eclipse, the Moon completely covers the Sun, leaving only its corona visible. During a partial solar eclipse, only a portion of the Sun is covered by the Moon. During an annular solar eclipse, the Moon is too far away from the Earth to completely cover the Sun, creating a ring of fire effect. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon. There are two types of lunar eclipses: total and partial. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon is completely covered by the Earth’s shadow, creating a reddish hue. During a partial lunar eclipse, only a portion of the Moon is covered by the Earth’s shadow. Eclipses are relatively rare events that require specific alignment of the Sun, Moon, and Earth. While there are several eclipses each year, they are typically only visible from specific regions of the Earth and require clear skies and proper viewing conditions to be seen.
2
www.earthspacelab.com/app/eclipse/When the Moon passes directly in front of the Sun during a New Moon day, a solar eclipse can occur by temporarily blocking out the Sun’s light and casting a shadow on the Earth. On the other hand, When the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon during Full Moon day a solar eclipse can occur by casting a shadow of Earth on the Moon. During a lunar eclipse, the Moon may appear reddish in color due to the Earth’s atmosphere refracting sunlight onto the Moon’s surface. As the orbital planes of moon is tilted about \(5^o\) to the Earth orbital plane, we do not have eclipses on every new moon or full moon day [Figure 12.2.4].
