Ball Juggling
In a solar eclipse, the moon casts its shadow on Earth. In a lunar eclipse, Earth casts its shadow on the moon.
Solar eclipses are more common than lunar eclipses, but we tend to have the opposite impression. Why?
|
SelectClick for Answer |
Because the moon’s shadow is smaller than Earth’s, a total solar eclipse is visible only from within a relatively narrow latitude on Earth’s surface, while a lunar eclipse is visible from anywhere on the night side of the planet. For the same reason, a total solar eclipse lasts for only a few minutes at any given location, while a lunar eclipse lasts for several hours.
|
August 20, 2012 | Puzzles
