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Imagine a Earth-Moon-Sun system in which the moon was much smaller than the present Moon How would this effect solar eclipces as seen on earth?
Mbananaz24
The way things are right now a total eclipse of the sun by the moon is a pretty close match in size. The only part of the sun not covered by a total eclipse is the photosphere, and during a total eclipse is one of the rare occasions when scientists can observe it directly. If the moon was smaller you would see a ring of sun when the eclipse was 'full'. It would be more of a transition than a true eclipse.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoThere are two questions here.
The apparent size of the moon is almost exactly the same as the apparent size of the sun. The size of the moon is critical for a solar eclipse, so much so that the very small variation in distance between the Earth and the moon causes qualitatively different types of eclipses. (Total eclipse and annular eclipse.) If the moon were more than a 5% smaller, we would never have a total solar eclipse and never an annular eclipse it were a small amount larger. The mass of the moon has no immediate effect on solar eclipses.
If there were a change in the mass of the moon or its distance from the Earth, the effect on tides would be seen. A heavier moon, even at the same distance, would orbit at a faster rate and the gravitational force would be greater. These things would create larger tides and the opposite for smaller mass. The size of the moon has no immediate effect on tides. (Just a technicality, but the change in the orbital period due to increase moon mass at the same distance is not very large if the moon stays close to its current mass which is less than 1/80th the mass of the Earth. One can almost ignore the issue of the change in period because the "reduced mass" is almost identical to the mass of the Earth. The basic answer remains the same if one ignores the change in orbital period.)
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoYes, a little. The Earth's shadow is large enough to completely cover the Moon during a lunar eclipse. If the Earth were enough smaller, then there would be a dark spot on the Moon rather than the whole thing being darkened. This is what happens with the Moon's shadow on the Earth; it's a dark spot.
If the Earth were MUCH smaller, then the proportion of the Earth darkened in a solar eclipse would be much greater, but nobody would be here to notice - because if the Earth were that much smaller, we wouldn't be able to live here.
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoYes, because then the earth would be total darknes and we and earth as we knoe it would die.
Wiki User
∙ 15y agoIn this scenario, we would only have Annular Solar Eclipses and no Total Solar Eclipses of Sun
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