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Lunar eclipses, both lunar and solar, are astronomical events that occur from time to time. In the event of a lunar eclipse, The earth stands between the moon and the sun The three celestial bodies remain aligned for some time in this order . Thus, for a few minutes, it is the Earth that shades the Moon, and not the other way around. For this to happen, in addition to the alignment, the moon must be full.
Instead of that , A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth , which blocks the sun from our planet. In this case, the moon must be new and the three celestial bodies must also align.
According to experts, One to four, five, or even six lunar eclipses are recorded each year .
How a lunar eclipse happens?
As we explained earlier, a phenomenon such as a lunar eclipse occurs when the full moon is covered by the shadow cast by planet Earth. There is a fact that deserves to be clarified: it is Thanks to Sunlight We can see the moon from our planet.
That’s why when there is a lunar eclipse, we see how Earth’s shadow begins to advance, covering the surface of the moon . Inside this shade we are talking about two different parts: the shadows and the shadows. While the latter is the area of the moon that is completely covered by the shadow – and therefore imperceptible -, in the case of the semi-shadow, the shadow is more brittle.
How often does a lunar eclipse occur?
Although the Moon revolves around the Earth every month, lunar eclipses do not occur 12 times a year. The explanation is simple: The path the moon travels around the planet inclined about five degrees, Compared to the path that the Earth takes around the sun. This means that the earth’s shadow does not always reach the moon.
The moon could be behind the earth and still receive sunlight. This is why everything It will depend on where the person is at that moment on Earth : It should be in the middle of the planet at night. Otherwise, it will not be registered.
For this reason, although lunar eclipses are events that occur one to four, five, or even six times a year, Several eclipses can be seen from the same place on the planet, as long as they occur at night . This is different from what happens with solar eclipses which, according to NASA, can be seen from the same place, on average once every 375 years.
types of lunar eclipse
According to the proportion by which the Earth’s shadow falls on the surface of the Moon, as well as the part (shadow or semi-shadow) that it reaches, different types of lunar eclipses can be recognized:
- total eclipse. In this case, the Earth’s shadow manages to cover the entire surface of the Moon.
- Penumbral Eclipse . This event occurs when the moon just crosses the penumbra – not the shadow. That is why this event becomes imperceptible. There are two subspecies within ecliptic conic. Total, which is when the entire surface of the Moon is reached by a semi-shadow, while, in Partial, only a portion of the Moon. Within a year, it is estimated that one in three eclipses will be of this type.
- partial eclipse. This event is recorded when only part of the surface reaches the shadow.
solar eclipse
Conversely, a solar eclipse occurs when the moon hides the sun. When does this happen? When the moon is aligned between the earth and the sun .
We’re talking about total solar eclipse When the lunar shadow can cover the entire surface . This phenomenon does not last more than two minutes. Whereas, a partial solar eclipse occurs when the moon’s shadow fails to cover the entire surface. That is why, from the earth, a part of it can be seen, bright.
On the other hand, an annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon and the sun are aligned ، But Since it is smaller, it is seen as a kind of ring of light. Finally, there are those who talk about a hybrid solar eclipse, which is when it is viewed from certain angles on the Earth’s surface as annular, while from other angles it is viewed as total.
Total is recorded solar eclipse every 500 days That is, about every year and a half. While partial is more frequent: two per year, on average.
Unlike a lunar eclipse, the Seeing a solar eclipse is a big challenge . is that there are, at least, two conditions that must be satisfied. From another living being, the person who wants to see it somewhere must be on the planet Where is the path of the moon. On the other hand, it must be day since that person is at the time when the three celestial bodies line up.
It is important, when you want to appreciate a phenomenon like this, Do not look directly at the sun, because It can damage your eyesight . Alternatively, different filters or techniques can be used to estimate it. Or if not, using various projection techniques suggested by specialists.