What occurs whenever the moon phases through the earth's shadow?

Answer 1

Light from the Sun radiates out in every direction. When the light is blocked, the object that's blocking the light casts a shadow. The Moon and Earth are solid, and cast shadows.

About twice a year, either the Moon's shadow hits the Earth, or the Earth's shadow hits the Moon. We call these eclipses; a solar eclipse when the Moon's shadow hits the Earth, and a lunar eclipse when the Earth's shadow hits the Moon.

Because the Earth is much larger than the Moon, the Earth's shadow is also fairly large, and can entirely cover the Moon. This means that for up to 90 minutes, no direct sunlight hits the Moon, and the Moon becomes dark. Not COMPLETELY dark; sunlight passing through the Earth's atmosphere is refracted, or bent, a little way into the night half of the Earth, and some of that light bent by the atmosphere continues on to hit the Moon. This is why the Moon sometimes becomes a deep reddish color; it is the color of all the sunrises and sunsets, all around the world, all at once!

Who can see it? Anybody on the night side of the Earth.

The next lunar eclipse will be on December 21, 2010, and will be visible from anywhere in North America (and most anybody in the Pacific Ocean, which doesn't include much in the way of land!)

Answer 2

During a lunar eclipse, the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow on the Moon. This causes the Moon to darken and sometimes appear red or blood in color due to the Earth's atmosphere refracting sunlight.

Answer 3

MOSTLY true. When the Moon is COMPLETELY within the Earth's umbra, there will be a total lunar eclipse. (Whether you see the eclipse may depend on the weather!)

The "umbra" is the darker central shadow of the Moon or the Earth. The "penumbra" is the lighter partial shadow. If only PART of the Moon is in the umbra, then there will be a partial eclipse.

If the Moon goes through the penumbra without going through the umbra, then there will be a "penumbral" eclipse, but you probably won't see any difference at all; we generally cannot notice the partial shading of a penumbral eclipse without special instruments.

Answer 4

When the umbra, or "shadow", of the Moon touches the Earth, we have a total solar eclipse at that point.

The Moon is much smaller than the Earth, and the shadow of the Moon is far smaller yet, so only a small area of the Earth is ever affected by a total solar eclipse.

Answer 5

No. The Moon keeps the same face turned toward the Earth, so on the "nearside" of the Moon, it is night at the new moon and daytime at the full moon. The "day" is 14 days long, and the "night" is also 14 days long.

When the Moon goes into the Earth's shadow, we call it a "lunar eclipse". But from the perspective of people who will someday live on the Moon, it will be a SOLAR eclipse.

Answer 6

-- The observer must be out-doors.

-- It must be night-time.

-- The sky must be clear at the observer's location.

-- It must be the time of the Full Moon.

-- The observer must be watching the moon.

-- The moon must be near one of the nodes of its orbit,

i.e. very close to the center of Earth's shadow.

Answer 7

One total eclipse may happen each year or two. For a total eclipse to happen the moon's inner or umbral shadow will sweep across the Earth's suface. It is rare to see a eclipse in a single place.

Answer 8

When the Moon's shadow falls on the Earth, we have a solar eclipse.

Answer 9

During a total lunar eclipse the moon will appear to be red. This is caused by sunlight refracting through the earth's atmosphere

Answer 10

People who are interested in such things get to watch a lunar eclipse,

while nobody else notices that anything unusual is going on.