Interesting Eclipse Facts

Solar eclipses usually only last for a couple of minutes, but lunar eclipses can last for one or two hours!

On average, there are at least two solar eclipses a year, but up to five have been recorded for one year!

A long time ago, some people used to think that when there was an eclipse a dragon had eaten up the Sun and if they made enough noise, they could get the dragon to spit the Sun back out.

You can remember the difference between lunar eclipses and solar eclipses by thinking:

Lunar = Moon: so a lunar eclipse is a shadow blocking out the Moon.

Solar = Sun: so a solar eclipse is a shadow blocking Earth’s view of the Sun.

WARNING: REMEMBER TO NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN,

EVEN DURING AN ECLIPSE!

 

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Space: Today, Tomorrow, and Always
Novi Meadows Elementary School 2001

Unless otherwise noted, all images courtesy of NASA. Permission for use at http://www.nasa.gov/gallery/photo/guideline.html.

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