WHAT IS AN ECLIPSE?

An eclipse takes place when one heavenly body such as a

moon or planet moves into the shadow of another
heavenly body.

TYPES OF ECLIPSES

There are two types of eclipses on Earth: an eclipse of the

Moon and an eclipse of the Sun.

SOLAR ECLIPSE

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon comes directly

between the Earth and the Sun.

The Moon blocks the light of the Sun from reaching Earth.
During a solar eclipse, the moon casts a shadow onto
Earth.

Solar eclipses occur at New Moon, when the Moon is

between Earth and the Sun.

Happens during daytime.

THE MOONS SHADOW

Umbra It is where the Sun is completely blocked from the view. It is the

dark center of the moons shadow.

- also called the zone of totality

Penumbra It is where the Sun is only partially blocked. The penumbra gets

larger as it reaches Earth. People standing in the penumbra will see a partial
eclipse.

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

Only visible from a small area on Earth. The people who see the
total eclipse are in the center of the moons shadow when it hits
Earth.

The sky becomes very dark, as if it were night. For a total eclipse
to take place, the Sun, Moon and Earth must be in a direct line.

PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

This happens when the Sun, Moon and Earth are not
exactly lined up. The sun appears to have a dark
shadow on only a small part of its surface.

ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE

Happens when the moon is farthest from Earth.

Because the moon is farther away from Earth, it seems
smaller. It does not block the entire view of the sun.

The moon in front of the sun looks like a dark disk on top of a
larger sun-colored disk. This creates what looks like a ring
around the moon.

LUNAR ECLIPSE

Occurs when the Moon passes directly behind the Earth into
its umbra (shadow).

A total lunar eclipse can happen only when the sun, Earth and
moon are perfectly lined up anything less than perfection
creates a partial lunar eclipse or no eclipse at all.

A lunar eclipse can occur only at full moon.

Happens during night time.

THE BLOOD RED MOON

The red Moon is possible because while the Moon is in total

shadow,

some

light

from

the sun

passes

through

Earth's

atmosphere and is bent toward the moon.

The effect is to cast all the planet's sunrises and sunsets on the
moon.

HOW OFTEN DOES ECLIPSES OCCUR?

Total eclipses can be observed only within the region of totality, a

very narrow band where the Moons shadow falls as the Earth rotates.
For this reason, total eclipses are rare events in any given
geographical area.

At least two partial lunar eclipses happen every year, but total lunar
eclipses are rare. Depending on the geometry of the Sun, Moon, and
Earth, there can be between 2 and 5 solar eclipses each year.

REFERENCES

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-is-an-eclipse-58

http://space-facts.com/solar-eclipse/

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-is-an-eclipse-58

http://www.space.com/15689-lunar-eclipses.html