Eclipses : Of the Sun and Moon
Due to the different alignments of the sun, moon and earth , eclipses take place.
There are practically 2 types of eclipses ; 1) Eclipse of the Sun. 2) Eclipse of the moon.
Eclipse of the Sun
When an eclipse of the sun by the moon takes place, it is
known as a solar eclipse whereby the sun,moon and earth are totally
aligned in a straight line. This kind of eclipse happen only at the new moon phase. Anyone
standing at the position of B will witness a total eclipse. Anyone who in turn stands at
position A will see a partial eclipse. This means that only part of the sun is able to be
seen.
When the moon's orbit is not a perfect circle, anyone at
position B will now see an annular eclise. This means that te sun's centre area is not
able to be seen.
A total eclipse can last very fast, as fast as 6-7 minutes.
During this time, even though it is the day the sky darkens and temperature will start to
dip.
The following shows the diagram with respect to the above
explanation :
Eclipse of the moon
An eclipse of the moon takes place when the moon passes
into the earth's shadow. That basically means that the earth comes between the moon and
the sun. It is otherwise also known as a lunar eclipse. This eclipse only
materialises at the phase when the moon is full.
The following diagram shows the lunar eclipse ;
