4 Chapter 4 – What’s an eclipse?
OpenStax Astronomy Chapter 4 Section 7: Eclipses of the Sun and Moon
Solar Eclipses
I. Eclipses
A. Earth and the Sun
B. Happen at phase
C. Moon’s only over a of Earth
1. Completely blocks light over a path of on Earth’s surface
D. types:
1. : completely the disk of the
a. Only happen because Sun & Moon appear from Earth!
b. Gets and can see Sun’s outer atmosphere (Corona)
c. Only lasts a few in any one location in path of totality
2. : only part of Sun is blocked
a. Happens a total eclipse or path of totality
3. : see a of the Sun around the Moon
a. Moon’s orbit is perfect circle, when away, Moon appears
When the Moon appears to completely cover the Sun (a Solar Eclipse), the Moon must be at which phase?
A. Full
B. New
C. First quarter
D. Last quarter
E. No particular phase
Lunar Eclipses
II. Eclipses
A. Sun and Moon
B. Happen at phase
C. Visible over a of Earth’s side
1. Earth’s shadow than Moon’s, so more people in shadow
D. Lasts about an from start to finish
E. Lunar Eclipse – when Moon is in deepest of the Earth
1. Moon looks deep : sunlight in Earth’s atmosphere falls on Moon, like a sunset
F. Lunar Eclipse – of Moon in shadow, happens before and after eclipse
2. the same as of the Moon
Eclipse Frequency
III. Eclipse
A. Eclipses do occur every
1. Eclipses happen about times every
B. Moon’s is about degrees to Earth’s orbit
C. Shadows do to create eclipses every month
1. Moon usually passes above or below Earth’s
D. If , would get solar eclipse every New Moon and a lunar eclipse every Full Moon
Which, if either, occurs more often?
A. Total eclipse of the Moon as seen from Earth.
B. Total eclipse of the Sun as seen from the Moon.
C. They are both just as common.
Hint: When in doubt, draw it out!
Tutorial Activity – Eclipses
“Elementary Astronomy Worksheet Handout 4: Moon Phases, Eclipses” (modified by Kaisa E. Young) by Catherine Whiting via OER Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0, https://oercommons.org/courses/elementary-astronomy-worksheets
1. How do the apparent sizes of the moon and the sun compare? Does the moon appear bigger than the
sun, vice versa, or are they about the same apparent size?
2. List the two main types of eclipses and draw a diagram explaining why they occur. Indicate what
phase the moon must be in for each case.
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3. If the moon were twice the distance from the Earth as it is now, how would that affect solar eclipses?
4. What if the moon were at the same distance, but twice as big as it is now? How would it affect solar
eclipses?
