The moon would have to be on a flat plane instead of being on a tilt.
Eclipses don't happen every month because the Moon's orbit around Earth is tilted, so it doesn't always line up perfectly with the Sun and Earth. This alignment is necessary for an eclipse to occur.
A lunar eclipse can occur multiple times a year, but the frequency can vary. On average, there are about two to four lunar eclipses each year. Lunar eclipses can be partial, total, or penumbral, with total eclipses being less common.
No, annular eclipses do not happen every year. They occur when the Moon is farthest from Earth, making it appear smaller and not fully cover the Sun during the eclipse. This alignment is not a regular occurrence, so annular eclipses happen less frequently than total solar eclipses.
Because the position of the moon, earth, and sun are not in the same exact place every month. This means they are a rare occurrence and only happen when the moon, earth and sun are in exact alignment with the earth.
Every year
The Earth orbits the Sun in a plane that we call the "ecliptic". If the Moon orbited the Earth in that same plane, we would experience eclipses every month. But the plane of the Moon's orbit is about 5 degrees tilted from the ecliptic, and so we only see eclipses at the "nodes" when the Moon's orbital plane crosses the ecliptic at the new or full moons.
Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, causing the Earth's shadow to fall on the Moon. Solar eclipses happen when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, blocking the Sun's light from reaching Earth. Lunar eclipses can only happen during a full moon, while solar eclipses can only occur during a new moon.
Eclipses do not happen every month because the Moon is in an orbit that is inclined to the plane of the Earth's orbit, the ecliptic. So although the Moon passes behind the Earth (as seen from the Sun) every month, it usually passes above or below the Earth's shadow. For a lunar eclipse, Full Moon has to occur when the Moon is crossing the ecliptic, when it is said to be at a node.
We don't see solar and lunar eclipses every lunar cycle because the orbits of the Earth, Moon, and Sun are not perfectly aligned. Solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, blocking its light from reaching Earth, and this alignment is not always present. Similarly, lunar eclipses occur when the Earth casts a shadow on the Moon, and this alignment also does not happen every month due to the tilt of the Moon's orbit.
No, solar eclipses happen about twice a year. (Sometimes instead of one "real" eclipse, we get two "partial" eclipses.) You can look up the dates and locations of solar eclipses starting with the year 2000 BC and going to 3000 AD on the NASA Eclipse web site (linked below).
Solar eclipses can only occur at the new moon, while all lunar eclipses happen at the full moon.
Solar eclipses are caused by the shadow of the Moon hitting the Earth. Solar eclipses happen on the Earth.