How can I remember the difference between a solar and lunar eclipse (positioning of sun, moon and earth)?

Question

I have my earth science regents on tuesday...and i can never remember the difference! help plz! =] thanks

Answer 1

Solar eclipse: SME
Moon lies in front of the sun to cast a shdow over the earth

Lunar eclipse: SEM
Earth lies in front of the moon and casts its shadow over it.

Sme and sem; sun,moon,earth & sun, earth, moon if you were looking from the side in outer space with the sun to your left.

Answer 2

Solar Versus Lunar Eclipse

Answer 3

The easiest way to remember is to replace the words. So, a Solar Eclipse becomes Sun Obscured which becomes The Sun is Obscured which becomes The Sun is Obscured by What which means if you were experiencing a Solar Eclipse, the Sun would be obscured by the Moon. Or in shorthand it would be E - M - S. With you being on E, and the M obscuring the S.
And it's interesting to note that because of the size of the Sun and Moon and the distances of the Earth from the Sun, it appears to us Earthlings that the Moon fits right over top of the Sun. I believe The Almighty intended it to be that way.

Answer 4

A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes behind the earth so that the earth blocks the sun's rays from striking the moon.

Answer 5

*Solar Eclipse: A solar sclipse is when the moon blocks a portion of the sun from the earth's view, causing a part of the earth to be in shadows. (This can only occur when the moon is in its fifth phase [full moon] phase)

*Lunar Eclipse: A lunar eclipse is when the earth blocks the sun from the moon, causing a part of the moon to be lit . (This can only occur when the moon in in its first phase [new moon] phase)

---And the reson we don't have solar and lunar eclipses every time the moon is a new or full moon, is because the earth is tilted on its axis because of a collision with a planetessimal in its early days.

Answer 6

Hi, one of the BEST ways for me to remember it was to write it in color. Then to draw a diagram. You look it up in your notes and then on a separate sheet of paper you draw out the different eclipses.

Though its good for a visual learner, a person who it more hands on. What you could do it take a persons head, and your fists. make the persons head the sun and your fists the moon and Earth. Remember the positions you put them in

Put your fists on each side then thats a solar eclipse. Then if the fists are on the same side thats a lunar.

Good luck and I hope this helps!

Answer 7

Make it personal. Imagine you ARE the Earth. If the Moon is in front of you (full moon) and the sun is behind you, your shadow will cover the moon: lunar eclipse. If the sun is in front of you and the moon gets in the way (new moon), the moon blocks the sunlight: solar eclipse.

Answer 8

An eclipse means that something comes between a light source--the sun and some other body which until then had light falling on it--and stops the light, casting a shadow onto the third body.

So: Earth's bulk coming between the sun and the moon causes a shadow to fall on the moon; and
the moon coming between Earth and the sun causes ithe Moon's shadow to fall onto Earth.

Answer 9

In terms of blocking the light of the sun.....

Earth blocks Moon....Moon eclipse
Sun Earth Moon in alignment

Moon blocks sun, Solar eclipse
Sun Moon Earth in alignment

Keep the mental picture in your mind

Answer 10

Just remember, when solar eclipse occur, the moon is between the sun and the earth (S>M>E) mean (sun in the left, moon in the centre, and earth in the right). When lunar eclipse, it is the earth between the sun and the moon, just remember (S>E>M) mean sun is on the left, earth is on the centre and the moon is on the right. Still blur, visit the websites http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_eclipse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_eclipse