Lunar and Solar Eclipse Flashcards

Eclipse Overview

• An eclipse occurs when the light from one celestial object is blocked by another celestial object.

Types of Moon Phases

• A solar eclipse occurs during the New Moon phase.
• A lunar eclipse occurs during the Full Moon phase.

Lunar Eclipses

• Total Lunar Eclipse: Occurs when the moon passes directly behind Earth into its umbra (the darkest part of its shadow).
• Partial Lunar Eclipse: Results from the Earth moving between the Sun and Moon without a perfect alignment, where only part of the Moon's surface is covered by Earth's umbra.
• A reddish glow appears on the Moon during a total lunar eclipse due to light scattering through Earth's atmosphere.

Solar Eclipses

• Total Solar Eclipse: Happens when the Moon entirely covers the Sun, casting a shadow on Earth, occurring only during a New Moon phase.
• Partial Solar Eclipse: Occurs when the Moon, Earth, and Sun do not align perfectly, resulting in only a portion of the Sun being obscured.
• Annular Solar Eclipse: Occurs when the Moon covers the Sun's center, creating a "ring of fire" effect due to the Moon's smaller apparent size.

Shadow Components

• Shadows have two parts: Umbra (the dark inner shadow) and Penumbra (the faint outer shadow).
• Total solar eclipses are visible only within the umbral shadow, while partial solar eclipses can be seen within the penumbral shadow.

Frequency of Eclipses

• Lunar eclipses occur when the Moon moves into Earth's shadow, while solar eclipses happen when the Moon's shadow falls on Earth.
• Both types of eclipses do not occur every month due to the different orbital planes of Earth and the Moon.
• At least four eclipses (two solar and two lunar) occur each year, but some years can have up to seven eclipses.

Visibility and Duration

• Lunar eclipses can be seen by more people since Earth's shadow on the Moon is larger than the Moon's shadow on Earth during solar eclipses.
• Lunar eclipses last longer than solar eclipses due to the extent of Earth's shadow compared to that of the Moon.