Eclipses

A penny will hide the biggest star in the

universe if you hold it close enough to your

eye.

-- Samuel Grafton

Solar Eclipses

The Sun is vanishing! The Sun is going out! The daylight is retreating!

Bad Omens All! The Gods are MAD!

The Moon is just close enough, and just big enough, to block our

view of the sun = SOLAR ECLIPSE.

Only the sun’s CORONA is visible

If the Moon was A)

smaller, or B) farther

from us, would we

experience TOTAL

solar eclipses?

ANNULAR ECLIPSE – when moon is

farthest from Earth – some sun visible

The Modern View

The answer lies hidden among the shadows.

Earth

Moon

Shadow Structure

Penumbra

Penumbra

Umbra

South

Pole

North

Pole

Solar Eclipse Details

Sun Moon

What is the phase of the moon?

New Moon!

Total Solar Eclipse

A Total Solar

Eclipse from

beginning to end

Why not a solar eclipse every month then?

Sun

Ecliptic

Moon

Moon’s

Orbit

Earth 5o

Moon's orbit is tilted about 5o with respect

to the Earth's orbit (ecliptic), so the

shadows usually miss!

But, the Moon passes through the ecliptic, and

is found along the line of nodes, twice a month.

*IF* at new moon - SOLAR ECLIPSE

probability.

*IF* at FULL moon - LUNAR ECLIPSE

probability.

If line of nodes points to the sun during new or full moon phases; ECPLIPSE!!!

A Lunar Eclipse

Moon

Sun Earth

Moon’s

Path A lunar eclipse occurs when the

Earth lies between the Sun and

Moon, so that Earth's shadow

darkens the Moon.

The moon becomes a blood red color during a total lunar

eclipse. No wonder that ancient cultures feared the appearance

of the moon during a lunar eclipse.

Earth’s Atmosphere

Sunlight

Moon

Earth

The Blood Moon

The moon often does not totally disappear during a total lunar eclipse.

Instead it can be seen as a very dark red color because of the refraction of

sunlight through the Earth's atmosphere.

The End