2007-05-01 14:33:45 · 7 answers · asked by Michelle S 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Just to add to Astronomer 1980's concise answer:
The reason there is not a solar eclipse at every new moon is that the moon's orbit around Earth is inclined about 5% to the Earth's orbit around the sun.
Since the moon only presents a disk about half a degree across (similar to the sun) you can understand that most of the time it misses "hitting" the sun, as it can be 10 lunar diameters too high or too low when otherwise directly between Earth and sun. Then most of the times it does "hit" the sun (not literally) it will only cover a chunk of it.
With the lunar eclipse, it is the Earth that is casting the shadow, and that shadow is much bigger than the moon's shadow. Consequently, at full moon, there is much more chance of the moon encountering Earth's shadow. That is why lunar eclipses are more frequent that solar eclipses.
2007-05-01 14:57:04 · answer #1 · answered by nick s 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not quite. A new moon is when the moon isn't receiving any sunlight, so it's completely dark. A lunar eclipse happens when the sun, moon, and earth (in order) form a straight line. The moon throws a dark shadow on the earth's surface.
2007-05-01 16:11:12 · answer #2 · answered by Jobs_141 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, in fact they are almost opposites. A lunar eclipse can only happen during a FULL moon, since the Earth must fall in between the Moon and the Sun:
Sun..........Earth....Moon
A new moon occurs when the Moon is more or less in between us and the Sun, so that we are only seeing the unlit side. If it falls exactly in between, then it blocks the Sun and we get a SOLAR (not lunar) eclipse. So all solar eclipses occur during new moons.
Sun..........Moon...Earth
2007-05-01 14:42:36 · answer #3 · answered by Astronomer1980 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
During a lunar eclipse, the sun is behind the earth, so the light is blocked from the moon, causing it to go dark. During a new moon, the sun is behind the moon
heh..i didn't know that either :D
2007-05-01 14:39:00 · answer #4 · answered by Kasturi R 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
no.
lunar eclipse: Earth's shadow is casted on the moon so it's not visible. such exact positioning is due to the sun being behind the Earth when the shadow is cast.
new moon: the moon is not reflecting any light from the sun to the Earth.
2007-05-01 15:58:39 · answer #5 · answered by aximili12hp 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No
2007-05-01 14:37:19 · answer #6 · answered by Randy G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
nope.
2007-05-01 14:37:44 · answer #7 · answered by None 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋