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Lunar Eclipses
A lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes behind the earth and into its shadow. The Sun, Moon, and Earth will be lined up, and the Moon will be darkened for a few hours as it passes through the shadow.
431 Questions
During a lunar eclipse the earth is between the sun and the moon, casting a shadow over the moon. So while you are watching the eclipse there is no danger of accidentally looking directly at the sun.
During a solar eclipse the moon passes between the earth and the sun so the moon partially blocks out light from the sun. Thus to watch a solar eclipse requires looking directly at the sun which is very dangerous for the naked eye. So to avoid the risk of serious damage to the eye, you should only observe a solar eclipse using an indirect method.
What two things are in the middle of the lunar eclipse?
I'm not sure exactly what this means, but the answer may be:
The Umbra and the Penumbra
Why don't lunar eclipses occur during every lunar cycle?
The earth's orbit of the sun and the moon's orbit of the earth are not on the same plane; one of the two orbits is tilted about five degrees with respect to the other, so the moon usually misses the earth's shadow.
How beautiful would it be to watch lunar eclipse closer from moon?
Watching a lunar eclipse from the moon would be a unique and breathtaking experience. As the Earth passes in front of the Sun, the planet’s shadow would slowly engulf the Earth in darkness, creating a mesmerizing sight unlike anything seen from Earth. The colors, shadows, and contrast of the eclipse would be more pronounced and vivid from the moon, offering a spectacular celestial event.
Is there a pattern of the number of days between solar and lunar eclipses?
There are two "eclipse opportunities" each year, when the Moon passes the ecliptic (the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun) at the new or full moon. And normally, we see either a solar or a lunar eclipse - or both - each time. Occasionally, if the arrangement is off just a bit, we see two partial or penumbral eclipses instead of one total eclipse.
This year, for example, we saw a total solar eclipse at the new moon on July 22, 2009, and a penumbral lunar eclipse two weeks later, on August 6.
Of the two solar eclipses each year that we should expect, about half are partial; one quarter are annular, and a quarter are total. (These are approximations, of course.) Of the two lunar eclipses that we expect each year, about 1/3 are total, and the rest either partial or penumbral.
The NASA Eclipse Web Site lists all eclipses from 2000 BC to 3000 AD; you can look up the exact time and date, and where it was/will be visible.
