how often does a luner eclipse hapeen?

Question

none provided

Answer 1

Hi Harris!

There must be at least two eclipses of the moon each year. Here's why:

It takes the moon over one month to pass through the corridor of its orbit where it lies in the same plane as the sun. That's too long for there to be only one eclipse, because about two weeks after the first eclipse, the moon still gets into a line with the earth and sun, causing a second eclipse.

Twice a year, the moon's orbit enters the eclipse corridor. (This happens about every 5 1/2 months, so if one occurs in January there will be a second in June or July and a third in December, so it can happen three times in a calendar year.)

Once into the corridor, the first time the earth, sun and moon are in a straight line (in any order), there will be an eclipse. Depending on the order, it could be a solar eclipse, or a lunar eclipse. Then, about two weeks later, they'll be in a line again (although in the opposite order), producing another eclipse, but of the alternate kind. In some cases, there can even be three eclipses.

For example, this month, March 2007, there was a total eclipse on March 3rd, which you know about. What they did not tell you is that there will be a partial eclipse of the sun about two weeks later, on Monday March 19th! This eclipse is visible from Peking to Nome, Alaska (where it will be the afternoon of Sunday March 18th because of the International Date Line).

Or take the total lunar eclipse this summer, the night of August 27th-28th. There will be a partial eclipse of the sun about two weeks later on Tuesday, September 11th, visible across the southern cone of South America.

Or, consider the total eclipse of the moon the evening of Wednesday February 20th. (All three of these lunar eclipses will be visible in the Americas.) It will be preceeded by an eclipse of the sun visible that afternoon in Australia and New Zealand.

Twice every 346 days, there must be at least one lunar eclipse and at least one solar eclipse!

Answer 2

A lunar eclipse occurs whenever the Moon passes through some portion of the Earth's shadow. This can occur only when the Moon is full, and when the Sun, Earth and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so. The type and length of a lunar eclipse depends upon the Moon's location relative to its orbital nodes. The most recent total lunar eclipse was on 3 and 4 March 2007. The next one will occur on 28 August 2007.

Answer 3

A lunar (note spelling) eclipse occurs whenever the Earth is aligned between the Sun and the Moon so that the Earth blocks some or all the rays of the Sun from shining on the Moon. It is actually the shadow of the Earth passing over the Moon causing the eclipse.

Answer 4

During the 5000 years from 2000 BCE to 3000 CE, Earth will experience 12,186 lunar eclipses. That is an average of 2.4372 per year. Some years have 2, some years have 5.

There are:

3489 years with 2 lunar eclipses (69.8%, 1 in 1.43 years)
871 years with 3 lunar eclipses (17.4%, 1 in 5.74 years)
603 years with 4 lunar eclipses (12.1%, 1 in 8.29 years)
37 years with 5 lunar eclipses (0.7%, 1 in 135.14 years)

Answer 5

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html

here you will find a prediction chart for both solar and lunar eclipses

Answer 6

At least twice a year.