The Solar and Lunar Eclipse

DIFFERENTIATE THE SOLAR AND LUNAR ECLIPSE?

A lunar eclipse occur when the Sun, Earth and Moon are in straight line with earth between the Sun and the Moon. Lunar eclipse always occurs on a full Moon night. When the earth shadow covers the moon completely, we have a total lunar eclipse. If it covers the moon only partially we have particular lunar eclipse. The eclipse lasts only as long as the Moon is in the shadow of the earth. Once it moves out of the shadow, it shines brightly once again. The eclipse may be as short as a few minutes or as long as few hours.

A solar eclipse takes place when the sun, the moon and the earth are in straight line with the moon between the sun and earth. It shows that a solar eclipse always occurs on a new moon day. The shadow of the moon falls on a portion of earth. Therefore the people on this part of earth cannot see the sun at all. We have a total solar eclipse in these parts. In some parts of earth, only part of sun can be seen. At these places we can see partial solar eclipse.

The eclipse is over once the moon moves out of the line from sun to the earth. We can see the full face of the sun again.

A lunar eclipse is when the moon pass through the earths shadow and seems to disappear.

A solar eclipse is when the moon crosses between the earth and the sun and appears to hide the sun.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes into the Earth's shadow and is blocked from the Sun's rays that normally illuminate it.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes in front of the sun, blocking the Sun's rays from an area of the earth's surface.

solar=Moon shades a small area of the Earth. You see it only in the daytime, at new moon.

lunar=Earth shades a large area of the Moon, or the entire Moon. You see it at night, and only at the moment of full moon.

A lunar eclipse can only occur at full moon and a solar eclipse can only occur at new moon. In a lunar eclipse, the total phase can last for a maximum of 1 hour and 40 minutes....