Why isn't every new moon an eclipse?

Answer 1

Because the orbit of the Moon is angled to the Ecliptic, so there are only a couple of "eclipse opportunities" per year. Most of the time, the Moon doesn't come all that close to being directly between the Earth and the Sun, or go into the Earth's shadow.

Answer 2

A solar eclipse is when the moon is in line with the earth and the sun, and is the phenomenon that most people associate with the word "eclipse." Its the one with the pretty ring of fire around the black sphere of the moon. Happens during the new moon phase, and during the day.

A lunar eclipse places the earth between the moon and the sun, leaving the moon dark, during a full moon phase.

The new moon phase happens every month when the moon is between the earth and the sun, but not lined up so as to block each other. We see the dark moon, but the moon is not blocking the sun, nor is the earth blocking the sun from the moon.

Answer 3

If the orbit of the moon lay in the same plane as the plane of the orbit of the earth around the sun, then there would be a solar eclipse each month. But its orbit is tilted at an angle, so it happens that more often than not when the moon passes between the earth and the sun, it is just a bit too high, or just a bit too low to eclipse the sun. Or looking at it another way, when the moon crosses the plane of the earth's orbit it is mostly just a little too early, or a little too late, to eclipse the sun.

Answer 4

Not every new moon causes an eclipse because the moon's orbit around Earth is slightly tilted, so its shadow usually misses Earth. Eclipses occur only when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are aligned in a specific way.

Answer 5

The earth, moon and sun all have to be lined up perfectly. The orbits are not all perfect circles and angles, while the distances involved are also very large.

Answer 6

The plane in which the Moon orbits the Earth is not exactly aligned with the Ecliptic.