How do the moon phases and solar and lunar eclipse?

Answer 1

First of all, moon phases are because of where the moon is in its orbit. If the moon is like this in the diagram

Key: E = Earth M = Moon s = Sun

M E S

the Sun's light will hit the moon and bounce back to earth to your eyes, being a full moon. However, if the moon is in this position

E M S

the light goes from the sun, hits the moon, bounces off the moon, and either goes back to the sun or goes somewhere near it, being a new moon. Anywhere between these positions makes a different phase. Here is a list of the phases:

New Moon, Waxing Crescent, Half Moon, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Half Moon, Waning Crescent, New Moon.

Second of all, a solar eclipse is kind of like a New Moon, but a little different. The formation is like this

E M S

but they are lined up in the right way that the moon blocks the sun's light (Sometimes it completely blocks the light, other times it makes a golden ring in the sky from the outer edges of the sun not being blocked).

Third of all, a lunar eclipse is the opposite of a solar eclipse. It lines up like this:

M E S

The Sun's light still reaches us, but the shadow of the earth (big shadow, right?) makes it so no light reaches the moon. With no light to reflect, we can't even see it.

I hoped you learned something new!