Eclipses

-An amazing cosmic coincidence! When viewed from the surface of Earth, both the moon and sun appear to be about the same size. - A solar eclipse is when the Moon blocks out the light from the Sun and casts a shadow. - A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon is in the shadow zone of the Earth.

Lunar Eclipse

TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE

PARTIAL LUNAR ECLIPSE

Partial Lunar Eclipse- 1972

A Solar Eclipse occurs when the moon gets in the way of the sun as seen from the planet Earth. There are three types of Solar Eclipses visible from the Earth. What you see is determined by where you are relative to the shadow.

Umbra = Shadow cast by the Moon = Total Eclipse Penumbra = Partial shadow = Partial Eclipse

When standing inside the Umbra shadow, you will see a total eclipse of the sun.

1991 ECLIPSE

DIAMOND RING EFFECT

TOTAL ECLIPSE - MONTANA

When standing outside of the Umbra shadow you will see a partial eclipse of the sun.

PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

SOLAR ECLIPSE - MINNESOTA

SOLAR ECLIPSE FROM PALATINE- 1979

If standing in the line of the umbra, but beyond the point of the cone you will see an annular eclipse of the sun.

ANNULAR ECLIPSE

There can be up to five solar eclipses a year and as few as two. Generally when there are numerous (four or five) eclipses in a single year they are all partial as they occur while the moon is just entering or leaving the nodal area where the orbits intersect. For a total or annular eclipse to occur, the moon must be very near the ecliptic plane. (Ecliptic is another name for the Sun- Earth orbit.)