A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth blocks the sunlight from the Moon. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth's shadow falls on the Moon's surface. A lunar eclipse can be total, partial, or partial.
Total Lunar Eclipses
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun and Moon are on opposite sides of the Earth. Although the Moon is completely within the Earth's shadow, some of the Sun's rays reach it through the Earth's atmosphere, which filters out most short-wavelength rays, such as blue and violet, while long-wavelength red rays pass through. Therefore, the Moon appears red and is called a "blood moon."
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Because the Earth's diameter is four times that of the Moon, its shadow is much larger. Therefore, a lunar eclipse can last for more than 100 minutes at its most extreme.
Partial Eclipse
A partial eclipse occurs when only part of the Moon enters the Earth's shadow. Depending on the degree of the eclipse, a deep red shadow may appear on the dark part of the Moon's surface. Although total lunar eclipses are rare, partial eclipses occur at least twice a year.
Penumbral Eclipse
This phenomenon occurs when the Earth casts a very weak shadow on the Moon. Therefore, the eclipse is so weak that it is difficult to observe with the naked eye. Visibility depends on the size of the part of the Moon that falls into the penumbra; the smaller the shadow, the more difficult it is to see. Therefore, these eclipses are not mentioned in calendars, except for scientific ones.
Solar Eclipse: Definition and Causes
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon, during its orbit, passes between the Earth and the Moon, blocking sunlight from parts of the Earth. That is, the moon casts its shadow on the Earth's surface, creating one of three types of eclipses. These differ in the way the moon blocks the sun's rays and the extent of their effect.
Types of Eclipses
https://www.newyorker.com/science/elements/a-guide-to-the-total-solar-eclipse
Total Eclipse
A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon and Earth intersect, completely blocking the sun's rays. This occurs for a few moments, sometimes lasting for minutes, causing the sky to become as dark as night.
Total solar eclipses are rare. The sun's diameter is 400 times larger than the moon's, and it is 400 times farther from Earth than the moon. When the three bodies align perfectly, the moon completely blocks the sun's light, resulting in a total solar eclipse.
The line parallel to the moon's shadow on Earth's surface is called the "supermassive path." Only within this narrow area can one witness the phenomenon of total darkness. However, on both sides of the path and for thousands of kilometers, a partial eclipse can be seen. The further we move away from the "supermassive path," the smaller the portion of the sun obscured by the moon.
The duration of the phenomenon depends on the Earth's position relative to the sun, the Moon's position relative to the Earth, and the portion of the Earth's surface affected by darkness. Theoretically, the longest total eclipse can last 7 minutes and 32 seconds.
As for the frequency of total eclipses, they are not as rare as some might think, occurring approximately once every 18 months. What is extremely rare, however, is for the eclipse to be seen from the same location on Earth, an occurrence that occurs only once every 375 years on average.
Annular Eclipse
The farther the moon is from Earth, the smaller it appears to the observer. Therefore, it does not completely cover the surface of the sun. Instead, a ring-like portion of the sun remains visible around the moon. This phenomenon is called an annular solar eclipse.
As with a total eclipse, an "annular path" is formed in this case, in which the eclipse can be seen as a ring. Each time there is a shift from this path, there will be an area where the phenomenon can be partially seen on all sides of the "annular path."
According to NASA, this type of eclipse lasts longer than a total eclipse. In some cases, the solar ring can be seen for more than 10 minutes, but in general, it does not last more than 5 or 6 minutes.
Hybrid Eclipse
This phenomenon occurs when the moon is at a distance where it can completely block the sun. However, as it moves away from its orbital path, it stops completely blocking the sun, and the eclipse then becomes an annular eclipse.
The opposite can also occur: the eclipse begins as an annular eclipse, but as the moon approaches Earth at a slightly closer distance, it becomes a total eclipse.
Hybrid eclipses are rare, accounting for only about 4% of solar eclipses, according to the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands.
Situations in Which a Lunar Eclipse Occurs
A lunar eclipse can only occur when the moon is a full moon, in the middle of the lunar month. A solar eclipse can only occur when the moon is new at the end of the lunar month.
While the visibility of a solar eclipse depends on the observer's geographic location, a lunar eclipse can be seen from any location on Earth's surface, provided the moon is above the horizon at the time of the eclipse.
Eclipses in Other Star Systems
Occultation is not limited to the moon and sun; it can also affect some distant stars. Chilean astronomer Bemin notes that 50% of stars are located in groups consisting of two or more stars. Since our galaxy contains a vast number of stars, some binary stars—that is, a star system consisting of two stars orbiting a common physical center—rotate on precisely aligned axes, such that one of them passes in front of the other during their orbits, obscuring it from the view of observers. These stars are called "occulting binary stars."
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