Why is it some people experience a total solar eclipse while others experience a partial eclipse or no eclipse at all?

Answer 1

The Sun is about a million miles across, while the Earth is only 8000 miles across and the Moon is only 2150 miles in diameter. Because the Sun is so much bigger than the Earth or the Moon, the shadows of the Earth and Moon are cone-shaped.

So the shadow of the small Moon gets even smaller by the time the shadow gets all the way to Earth, 240,000 miles away. In fact, the distance from the Sun to the Moon varies from 225,000 miles at the perigee to 252,000 miles at the apogee. When the Moon is in close, the diameter of the total part of the shadow - the "umbra" - is only about 300 miles. When the Moon is further away, the cone-shaped umbra of the Moon's shadow doesn't reach all the way to the Earth; that's when we have "annular" (ring-shaped) eclipses.

Where the umbra of the Moon's shadow touches the Earth, we have a "total" eclipse. Around that spot is a ring of "partial" eclipse where the Sun is peeking out from behind the Moon. Further away from the umbra, the Moon doesn't block the Sun at all.

Answer 2

During a total solar eclipse, the moon completely blocks the sun from certain parts of the Earth, creating a path called the "path of totality." People within this path experience a total eclipse. Outside this path, people may see a partial eclipse where the moon only partially covers the sun or no eclipse at all if they are too far from the path. The alignment of the Earth, moon, and sun determines who experiences what type of eclipse.

Answer 3

A partial solar eclipse takes place because the Sun and the Moon are not perfectly aligned. So, the Moon doesn't cover all of the Sun.