So I woke up last night to watch the lunar eclipse and it got me wondering. A Lunar eclipse happens when the shadow of the earth passes over them moon, but isn't that the same thing as what we're seeing in the multiple phases of the moon? i.e. quarter moon, half moon, full moon etc.?
2007-08-28 08:09:26 · 9 answers · asked by warpdesign 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Not quite: the phases of the Moon are the *Moon's* shadow on itself. Since the Moon is roughly spherical, and the angle between the Earth, Moon and Sun changes constantly, we see different portions of the Moon lit up at any given time. This is the cause of the phases. A lunar eclipse is not the shadow of the Moon hiding the Moon, but rather the shadow of the Earth falling on the Moon.
2007-08-28 08:14:21 · answer #1 · answered by poorcocoboiboi 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I am flabbergasted that so many people think the phases of the moon are anything to do with the Earth.
Don't you look?
Often the moon and the sun are in the sky together - how the heck do you think the shadow of the Earth can turn sideways and go to the moon.
Also, when you see the sun and moon in the sky together you can see quite clearly that the phase is simply how much of the sunlit part of the moon you can see.
The lunar eclipse is when the moon passes into the very narrow band of the Earth's shadow. How the heck could that narrow band be directed at the moon day after day to make the phases.
It aint rocket science, to coin a crass phrase.
Two things. You should get out more and look around you. And you should give some thought to things.
Knowing is not just being told stuff, you have to observe and think.
2007-08-28 08:53:17 · answer #2 · answered by nick s 6 · 3⤊ 4⤋
Not the same thing. You're right that a lunar eclipse is the shadow of the moon, and that is when the moon is between the earth and the sun. The phases of the moon come about because your view of the moon during certain phases is the earth between the moon and the sun.
2007-08-28 08:15:40 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
Eclipse Phases
2016-11-14 08:58:56 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The distance to the moon from the earth varies over time, and the moon can be "above" or "below" the earth's orbit, so only occasionally does the earth's shadow actually cover the moon.
The phases of the moon are caused by the sun shining on a part of the moon from our perspective, with the rest of the moon in its own shadow. The phases are not caused by the earth's shadow.
2007-08-28 08:18:06 · answer #5 · answered by thylawyer 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
A lunar eclipse happen over night whilst phases of the moon, new, crescent, etc happen over a period of 28 days.
2007-08-28 08:14:57 · answer #6 · answered by John_UG 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
No, a lunar eclipse is when the shadow of the moon passes over the earth.
2007-08-28 08:14:37 · answer #7 · answered by EmptyStomach 3 · 0⤊ 6⤋
tricky thing. browse in yahoo or google. that will could actually help!
2014-12-07 15:28:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
No
2007-08-28 08:17:07 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋