What is an Eclipse
An eclipse is an astronomical event where one heavenly body, like the moon,
moves into the shadow of another heavenly body.
There are two main classifications of an eclipse: Solar and Lunar
When the moon moves between the earth and sun, it covers our view of the sun, casting a shadow onto the surface of the earth. This is a solar eclipse. A solar eclipse appears differently depending where you are on earth in relation to the sun and moon.
When the earth moves between the sun and moon, the earth casts a shadow onto the moon. This is a lunar eclipse. The moon does not go completely dark during a lunar eclipse, but usually turns red in color.
Types of Solar Eclipses
Partial
During a partial solar eclipse, the Moon moves in front of the Sun, but it doesn’t completely cover it. So, from our view, we only see part of the Sun blocked. This is because the Moon isn’t perfectly in line with the Sun. A partial eclipse is not as rare as other types, but still pretty cool!
Annular
An annular eclipse happens when the Moon passes in front of the Sun but doesn’t cover it entirely. Since the Moon shifts closer and farther during its orbit around Earth, it’s too small to cover the sun while it’s farther from us, so we see a ring of sunlight around the disk of the Moon. This is also why it’s called the “Ring of Fire.”
Total
A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon completely blocks the Sun from our view. Because the Moon is in front of the Sun, its shadow falls onto Earth. This makes us feel like we see nighttime during the day. Total solar eclipses are rare, and you have to be in just the right spot to see them!
Types of Lunar Eclipses
Partial
In a partial lunar eclipse, a part of the moon enters the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, the umbra. This makes a portion of the Moon dark, but not the whole moon.
Penumbral
During this type of lunar eclipse, the moon moves into the outermost part of the earth’s shadow. Because the earth is round, it creates different intensities of shadow. The moon darkens, but it is very hard to see with just our eyes. This is the most common type of lunar eclipse but is often the hardest to see!
Total
During a total lunar eclipse, the entire moon moves through the Earth’s darkest shadow, the umbra. This makes the entire moon darken. For this type to happen, the Sun, Moon, and Earth must line up just perfectly.