What do you call it when the moon casts a shadow on the earth?

Answer 1

This is called a solar eclipse as the moon is blocking out the sun from your perspective on Earth. The actual shadow has two parts which both have their own names. The area that is the full shadow where you would witness a total solar eclipse is called the umbra. There is also a larger and less dark shadow that is cast around the umbra called the penumbra. In this area only a partial eclipse would be witnessed.
It is a solar eclipse, or an eclipse of the sun. Only a small part of the earth's surface is darkened by the moon's shadow at any moment, and the shadow follows a path across the surface for as long as the earth, moon and sun are aligned closely enough.

Answer 2

Perhaps you are thinking of "umbra", which simply means "complete shadow". But in a lunar eclipse, we don't care about the Moon's shadow, which extends out into space. In a lunar eclipse, it is the EARTH'S shadow that is visible, as it darkens the Moon.

Answer 3

1). It's always fuzzy, never sharp, indicating that the earth has an atmosphere.

2). It's always a circular arc, indicating that no matter what part of earth casts

the shadow, the shadow is always a circle, which in turn indicates that the earth

is a sphere.

Answer 4

It doesn't work like that.In a Solar Eclipse, the Moon covers the Sun, from our point of view - the Moon's shadow covers part of Earth.

In a Lunar Eclipse, Earth's shadow covers the Moon.

For the Moon's shadow to fall on the Sun, you would need a light source other than the Sun; and since the Sun is so bright, any such "shadow" (for instance, using reflected Earth light as a light source) wouldn't be noticeable.

Answer 5

The fully shadowed area is called the umbra, and the partially shadowed area is the penumbra.

Answer 6

The inner part is called the umbra and the outer part is called the penumbra.

Answer 7

Impossible. That never happens. The moon's shadow can only fall on Earth.

Answer 8

Isay it is penumbra

Answer 9

Umbra