2007-03-04 19:07:41 · 8 answers · asked by Joe N 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Your thinking is logical, but the answer is: "No".
A lunar eclipse happens when the Moon is "behind" the Earth, so that Earth, lit by the Sun, throws its shadow on it. The full Moon happens almost in the same situation, when the Moon is behind the Earth, but slightly above or below the Earth's shadow, so that it receives Sun's light over the whole surface turned towards Earth.
If the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon revolved in the same plane, every lunar month there would be a lunar eclipse, concurrent with the full Moon. However, the plane in which Moon revolves around the Earth is slightly inclined towards the plane in which the Earth revolves around the Sun, so that the Moon only occasionally passes through the Earth's shadow.
2007-03-04 20:21:55 · answer #1 · answered by nomolino 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If the moon was much closer to the earth, then it would go into the earth's shadow every time it went around the earth, once a month. But because the moon is far away, it only goes into the shadow occasionally - usually it passes above or below the shadow so we see a full moon without seeing the earth's shadow blotting out the moon for an hour. Eclipses of the moon, where the moon goes into the earth's shadow, happen about 2 or 3 times a year.
2007-03-04 20:13:34 · answer #2 · answered by Gnomon 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
An eclipse occurs when the moon is in the earth's shadow, and that can only happen when there is a full moon. The phases of the moon range from full moon to new moon but eclipses are somewhat rare.
We have a full moon about every month, but generally they are not involved with eclipses. Something a little rare will happen in March when we have a partial solar eclipse on the 19th, just 16 days after a full lunar eclipse.
2007-03-04 19:26:32 · answer #3 · answered by Warren D 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. The dark phase of the moon happens because the sun is illuminating the back of the moon and we cannot see it (the term dark side of the moon is one of the biggest misnomers in science). An eclips occurs becaue, although the moons front side is being illuminated by the sun, the Earth gets in the way. In other words, the two events occur at opposite points in the lunar cycle.
2007-03-04 19:26:07 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Moon phases only depend on the position of the moon. Eclipses depend on both the position of the moon and the Earth relative to the sun.
2007-03-04 19:16:47 · answer #5 · answered by ADRRL 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There are, on average, two lunar eclipses per year and between 3 and 5 solar occultations per year.
However, they are not necessarily visible from "your" location!
2007-03-04 19:43:36 · answer #6 · answered by just "JR" 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, but did you watch saturdays? It was very cold but worth it!
2007-03-04 20:30:45 · answer #7 · answered by silent1 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
nope.
2007-03-04 19:11:41 · answer #8 · answered by Newbody 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋