Astronomy - Eclipses
Lunar Eclipse:
An eclipse of the Moon - a Lunar Eclipse - occurs when the Moon passes behind the Earth and through the Earth's shadow (umbra). An eclipse of the Moon only takes place at full Moon and can be seen from anywhere that can see the Moon at the time of the eclipse.
The orbital positions of the Moon around the Earth, and the Earth around the Sun, mean that an eclipse will not take place at every full Moon. For an eclipse to occur, the Sun, Earth and Moon must all be in line.
During a partial eclipse, the orbital path of the Moon partially passes through the Earth's umbra and only part of the Moon is obscured by the shadow of the Earth.
Solar Eclipse:
An eclipse of the Sun - Solar Eclipse - occurs when the Earth passes through the Moon's shadow. A total eclipse of the Sun takes place only during a new moon, when the Moon is directly between the Sun and the Earth. When a total eclipse does occur, the Moon's shadow covers only a small portion of the Earth, where the eclipse is visible. As the Moon moves in its orbit, the position of the shadow changes, so total solar eclipses usually only last a minute or two in a given location. A Solar Eclipse only happens when the distances between the Sun and the Earth and the Earth and the Moon are in the same ratio as the radius of the Sun and the Moon.
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