2007-10-06 00:55:59 · 6 answers · asked by nosila 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
They happen about the same, its just that the lunar shadows cover a larger area and is therefore visible to more people. Earth blocks the sunlight that normally reflects off the Moon, the result is a lunar eclipse, which can only occur at full moon.
When the Moon blocks light from the Sun, casting a shadow on the Earth, it's called a solar eclipse. A solar eclipse can only occur at new moon. Solar eclipses occur over a narrow band of the Earth. Because it is only a total solar eclipse for those directly lined up....some other areas will be linned up for a partial eclipse...as the moon passes over part of the sun..there are 3 combinations of possibilities. a cresent that faces right then faces down then faces left...or a cresent that faces left then faces up then faces right ect...
2007-10-06 01:59:36 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because the Earths shadow (on the Moon) is bigger than the Moons shadow on the Earth so that for a Lunar eclipse the alignment doesn't have to be so precise.
The quirkiest thing about the Sun, Moon and Earth is that at the present time the apparent disc of the Moon is almost exactly the apparent diameter of the Sun. This does not happen anywhere else in the galaxy (that we know of), certainly nowhere else in the solar system.
2007-10-06 01:07:16 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Actually, lunar eclipses are very slightly less frequent than solar eclipses, but you are more apt to see one because a lunar eclipse lasts for hours and is visible from over half the planet, whereas solar eclipses last seven minutes or less and are visible only over a narrow path.
2007-10-06 05:07:25 · answer #3 · answered by injanier 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because the earth is bigger than the moon!
Therefore the earth's shadow is also bigger and there's a fair chance that the moon will enter some part of it as it goes round the earth. On the other hand, the moon's relatively tiny shadow has a very good chance of missing the earth - and if it does hit the earth, the tiny shadow means that you don't see a total eclipse unless you happen to be in the exact track of the shadow on the earth's face.
2007-10-08 10:01:49 · answer #4 · answered by James P 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually, they both happen about twice a year. But the lunar eclipses can be seen over half the earth, while the (total) solar eclipse can be seen only over a small strip of about 100 miles by 2000 miles.
2007-10-06 01:15:01 · answer #5 · answered by morningfoxnorth 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Next solar eclipse will be 2/7/08 and the next TOTAL solar exlipse is 8/2/08
So not so uncommon. However the lunar eclipses hapen more often because of the faster rortation of the moon around Earth than the Earth around the sun.
2007-10-06 01:00:22 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋