What causes a solar eclipse to occur?

Answer 1

A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. The Moon appears about the same size as the Sun because it is closer to the Earth -- so it can block much of the light from the Sun as it passes in front.

The Moon orbits the Earth about once a month, but the orbit is not perfectly aligned, so a solar eclipse is rare. It only affects a narrow path along those areas of the daytime Earth directly under the Moon's path, and only for a few hours. The "totality" of the eclipse in any location is always less than 3 minutes, because of the Moon's orbital speed and the Earth turning beneath it.

Answer 2

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking the Sun's light from reaching the Earth's surface. This alignment creates a shadow on the Earth, causing either a total or partial eclipse depending on the viewer's location.

Answer 3

The moon gets in between the sun and the earth, blocking sunlight.
Every now and then, the moon passes right between the sun and the earth in such a way that the moon's shadow passes over some of the earth's surface. If the moon's shadow falls where you happen to be, you will witness an eclipse.
A solar eclipse is when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun.
A solar eclipse happens when something passes over something else and hides it.
We get solar eclipses because sometimes the Moon gets in between the Sun and the Earth and blocks the shadow and light the Sun is trying to cast to the Earth.
Because we have a moon that is the right size. When the moon is directly between the Earth and the sun, that is an eclipse. The view of the sun is blocked by the moon.

Answer 4

If you happen to live on the planet Earth. A solar eclipse occurs when the rotation of the moon and the sun coinside with your location on the planet. If you ever get a chance to view one......well worth the effort. Good luck!

Answer 5

The sun, Earth, and moon orbit each other. When the Sun, moon, and earth are aligned, it creates an eclipse. When the light from the Sun can't get to the moon because the earth is in the way, it is called a lunar eclipse. The Earth casts a shadow on the moon. When the light from the Sun can't get to a portion of the Earth because the moon is in the way, it is called a solar eclipse. The moon casts a shadow on earth.

Answer 6

A solar eclipse is caused when the moon lines up in front of the sun and blocks it out from the earth.

Another way to look at it ... perhaps slightly easier ... is like this: When things line up

in just such a way that some people on Earth are in the Moon's shadow, they see a

solar eclipse.

Answer 7

When the Moon moves between the observer and the Sun an eclipse occurs.

Answer 8

Solar eclipses occur when the moon comes between the Earth and the Sun.

Answer 9

An eclipse is when one celestial body blocks another from sight: the moon gets in between the Earth and the Sun.

Answer 10

The Moon travels round the Eartth in its orbit and sometimes during this it passes between the Earth and the Sun. This causes The Sun's light to be blocked out until the Moon moves on.