1 2 3 4 Astronomer Astronomy Corona Crescent Scientist Who

Glossary 1

Astronomer

Scientist who studies object in space

2

Astronomy

The science that deals with the universe beyond Earth

3

Corona

The bright, white light seen round the Sun during a solar eclipse

4

Crescent

The shape of the Moon during its first and last quarter/ it resembles a segment of a ring with sharp ends

5

Eclipse

An occasion when the Earth passes between the Moon and the Sun so that you cannot see all or part of the Moon for a time

6

Half Moon

The first-quarter or third-quarter phase of the Moon / it is equal to one half of the visible side of the Moon when illuminated

7

Lunar

Anything having to do with the Moon

8

Eclipse of the Moon

The eclipse is seen when the dark part of the Earth falls on the Moon / it is also known as lunar eclipse

Glossary 9

Orbit

The path of an object in space going round another object

10

Phase

The shape of the Moon appears to be as seen from the Earth

11

Planet

Large round objects in the solar system that revolve round the Sun and receives light from it

12

Revolution

The movement of one object round another

13

Rotation

The spinning of an object

14

Shadow

The dark area formed by an objects which blocks light

15

Telescope

The instrument that makes distant objects appear nearer and larger

16

Umbra

The area in a dark part from which light is completely cut off

17

Penumbra

A lighter area between the umbra and the edge of a dark part

Eclipses Eclipse of The Moon

Eclipse of The Sun

The Earth is between the Sun and the Moon and the three of them lie in a straight line

The Earth blocks Sunlight from reaching the moon

The Moon is between the Sun and the Earth and the three of them lie in a straight line

The Moon looks reddish, dark grey or brown.

Sunlight is Blocked by The Moon

The Moon’s shadow falls On the earth’s surface

Daylight becomes dark during the total eclipse

Eclipses What’s in the middle During Solar eclipse Moon is in the middle Between Sun and the Earth Where would the Earth be On lunar eclipse Earth will be hiding Between Moon and Sun (Row row your boad)

 The eclipse of the Moon occurs when the earth is between the Sun and the Moon and the three of them lie in a straight line.  When the earth is between the Sun and the Moon and the three of them lie in a straight line, sunlight cannot pass through the earth because it is an opaque object.  As sunlight travels in straight lines, it cannot bend around the Sun.  Therefore, the Earth blocks the sunlight from reaching the Moon.  The Earth’s shadow will cover the Moon’s surface and causes a lunar eclipse 

An eclipse of the Moon can only occur at the phase of full Moon.

 When the Earth blocks sunlight , it produces a shadow with two regions, the umbra and the penumbra.  The eclipse of the Moon can last for more than an hour.

Phases of the Moon The appearance or shape of the Moon gradually changes through the course of a month. This cycle - the cycle of lunar phases, may be explained if we state the following: 1. The Moon is spherical in shape. 2. The Moon is not self-luminous, but rather reflects the light of the distant Sun. 3. The Moon circles the Earth once per month.

Moon's shadow on Earth taken by French cosmonaut Jean-Pierre Haigneré aboard the Mir

 The eclipse of the Sun occurs when the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth and the three of them lie in a straight line.  An eclipse of the Sun can occur at the phase of the New Moon when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun.  When the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth and the three of them lie in straight line , the Moon blocks the sunlight.  When the Moon blocks sunlight , it produces a shadow with two regions, the umbra and the penumbra.  The total eclipse of the Sun is very brief. It last for only a few minutes.  During the eclipse of the Sun, the sky gets darker and darker until eventually it becomes completely dark during the day.  It is dangerous to look at a solar eclipse directly. Our eyes can be seriously damaged if we look directly at it.

Earth and Moon: Full Moon

Solar Eclipse Geometry 1 To Sun

Full Moon

Moon

Earth The Moon orbits Earth once every 29.5 days with respect to the Sun

To Sun

Earth and Moon: New Moon

Solar Eclipse Geometry 2 To Sun New Moon

Moon

Earth The Moon orbits Earth once every 29.5 days with respect to the Sun

To Sun

Earth and Moon: Solar Eclipse Geometry

Solar Eclipse Geometry 3 To Sun Penumbra New Moon

Moon Umbra

Earth An eclipse of the Sun is only possible during the New Moon phase.

To Sun

Earth and Moon: Solar Eclipse Path

Solar Eclipse Geometry 4 To Sun Penumbra New Moon

Moon Umbra

Earth

Path of Totality

During a total solar eclipse the Moon’s two shadows sweep across Earth.

To Sun

Earth and Moon: Solar Eclipse Geometry

Solar Eclipse Geometry 4 To Sun Penumbra

Full Moon

New Moon

Moon Moon

Umbra Path of Totality Earth

The Moon orbits Earth once every 29.5 days with respect to the Sun

To Sun

Image of a total solar eclipse. The corona is visible here. The lines in the corona coming out radially from the sun .

Total solar eclipse just prior to totality. Reddish prominences can be seen off the sun’s limb.

Solar eclipse animation. These real images of an eclipse show what happens as the moon blocks out the solar disk or “photosphere”. The corona glows brightly. It is difficult to see the corona if even a little bit of the photosphere is visible. Some structure can be seen in the corona, again due to the sun’s magnetic field.

GOES images of the Earth showing the path of the moon’s shadow during the August 11, 1999 total solar eclipse.

A closer look at the 1999 eclipse.

Total Solar Eclipse from Antarctica

It’s possible to see a total eclipse from anywhere on Earth. This image was shot in Antarctica in 2003.

Ancient Meaning Solar eclipse have been generally explained in one of four ways: • A celestial being, usually a monster, attempts to destroy the Sun • The Sun fights with its lover the Moon • The Sun and the Moon make love and discreetly hide themselves in darkness • The Sun grows angry, sad, sick, or neglectful Littmann and Willcox, “Totality”

Norse mythology: the wolflike giant Sköll follows the Sun hoping to devour it. Ancient Egypt: the evil god Set was thought to have leapt into the eye of the Sun god, Horus. Ancient China: A heavenly dog ate the Sun. Chippewa Indians shot flaming arrows at the Sun hoping to rekindle the flames.

Chinese astrologers wrote of an eclipse occurring over 4000 years ago. Historians and astronomers believe that this was an eclipse that happened on 22 October 2134 B.C. Two astrologers at the time, Hsi and Ho, had apparently failed to predict this eclipse, and so were beheaded.

Eclipses What’s in the middle During Solar eclipse Moon is in the middle Between Sun and the Earth Where would the Earth be On lunar eclipse Earth will be hiding Between Moon and Sun (Row row your boad)

TEST YOURSELF

 What is the position of the Earth during the eclipse of the Moon ?  What is the colour of the Moon during the total eclipse of the Moon ?  How long does the total eclipse of the Sun last ?  What is the lunar phase during which a solar eclipse can occur ?