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Understanding Lunar Eclipses

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Lunar eclipses are captivating events where the Earth casts a shadow on the Moon, with types ranging from penumbral to total eclipses. They reveal the Earth's umbra and penumbra, and during a total eclipse, the Moon can appear red due to atmospheric filtering of sunlight. These eclipses have deep cultural roots and are predictable thanks to cycles like the Saros.

Understanding Lunar Eclipses

A lunar eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon. This event can only happen during a full moon when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are nearly in a straight line, with the Earth in the middle. For a lunar eclipse to occur, the Moon must be near one of its orbital nodes, the points where its orbit intersects the ecliptic, which is the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun.
Night sky with partial lunar eclipse, full moon with shades from white to red, scattered stars and human figures in contemplation.

The Earth's Shadow and Types of Lunar Eclipses

Earth's shadow is composed of two distinct parts: the umbra, where all direct sunlight is blocked, and the penumbra, where only a portion of the sunlight is obscured. Lunar eclipses are classified into three types: penumbral, partial, and total. In a penumbral eclipse, the Moon passes through the Earth's penumbra, causing a slight shading on the Moon's surface. A partial eclipse occurs when a portion of the Moon enters the umbra, leading to a visible darkening of a part of the lunar surface. During a total lunar eclipse, the entire Moon falls within the umbra, often displaying a reddish color due to the Earth's atmosphere filtering and bending the sunlight that reaches the Moon.

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00

Lunar eclipse alignment

Sun, Earth, Moon align nearly straight; Earth between Sun and Moon.

01

Lunar eclipse timing

Occurs only during full moon phase.

02

A ______ lunar eclipse is when the Moon only skirts through the Earth's ______, resulting in minor shading.

penumbral

penumbra

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