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There are, in general, two solar eclipses and two lunar eclipses each year. Sometimes the Sun, Moon and Earth don't line up QUITE accurately, and instead of having one total eclipse, we get two partial eclipses a month apart. The lowest possible number of solar eclipses in any calendar year is one; the maximum is five, which would work out to two partial solar eclipses in January, one total eclipse in July, and two partials in December. Both extremes are pretty rare.

We _see_ many more lunar eclipses than solar eclipses, even though the numbers are approximately equal. The Moon is a lot smaller than the Earth, and so the Moon's shadow is much smaller yet. A solar eclipse is visible only across a fairly narrow path along the surface of the Earth. Only people along that path can experience the eclipse. The total phase of a solar eclipse never lasts longer than 8 minutes. For a partial eclipse, it is likely that a lot of people won't notice the eclipse at all, because even if half the Sun were blocked, the other half of the Sun would continue to provide plenty of light. It might feel as if a thin cloud layer had dimmed the Sun slightly.


A lunar eclipse, on the other hand, happens ON THE MOON, and everybody on the night half of the Earth can see it. Even for a partial eclipse, it's very visible. The Earth is much larger than the Moon, and the Earth's shadow is large enough to completely darken the entire Moon and keep it mostly dark for over an hour.


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12y ago

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What type of eclipse occurs with the greatest frequency?

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Most people may think lunar eclipses occur more often because lunar eclipses are visible from a larger geographic area on Earth compared to solar eclipses. Lunar eclipses also last longer and are easier to observe with the naked eye, making them seem more common. However, in reality, both lunar and solar eclipses occur at about the same frequency.


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Solar eclipses are more common than lunar eclipses.


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'C' (the missing one) is the correct choice.


What are the eclipses of the sun and moon called?

Solar and lunar eclipses


Where did the first solar eclipse occur?

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All eclipses are shadows. A solar eclipse is the Moon's shadow on the Earth. A lunar eclipse is the Earth's shadow on the Moon.


What is the eclipse index?

The eclipse index is a measure used in astronomy to quantify the frequency of eclipses that occur over a specific period of time. It helps predict when solar and lunar eclipses are likely to happen based on their patterns and cycles.


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