An eclipse of the moon. You can see the curved shadow of the Earth.
What is an eclipse of the moon?
An eclipse of the moon happens when the Earth gets between the sun and the moon, so the light from the sun can’t get to the moon to be reflected towards the Earth. In other words, the shadow of the Earth covers the whole moon. People also call this a lunar eclipse.
When did the moon form?
How about solar eclipses?
The earth-moon-sun game
All our physics articles
Lunar eclipse in Italy
When do lunar eclipses happen?
A total eclipse of the moon can only happen when the moon is full, because that’s when the moon is exactly opposite from the sun in the sky. The moon is full about once a month, but eclipses happen less often, That’s because sometimes the moon is too high in the sky or too low for the Earth’s shadow to fall on it. Usually lunar eclipses (eclipses of the moon) happen two to four times a year.
How to see a lunar eclipse
The moon and eclipses of the moon
A full eclipse or a partial eclipse?
Sometimes they are full eclipses, and sometimes only part of the moon is eclipsed. When there’s a lunar eclipse, anyone on the night side of Earth can see it. So you’re much more likely to see an eclipse of the moon than an eclipse of the sun.
Eclipse of the Sun
Understanding the eclipse
More about the Moon
Learn by doing – eclipses
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