Eclipse of the Moon
Eclipse of the moon in Italy
An eclipse of the moon happens when the Earth gets between the sun and the moon, so the light from the sun can't get to the moon to be reflected towards the Earth. In other words, the shadow of the Earth covers the whole moon.
A total eclipse of the moon can only happen when the moon is full, because that's when the moon is exactly opposite from the sun in the sky. The moon is full about once a month, but eclipses happen less often because sometimes the moon is too high or too low for the Earth's shadow to fall on it. Usually lunar eclipses (eclipses of the moon) happen two to four times a year. Sometimes they are full eclipses, and sometimes only part of the moon is eclipsed. When there's an eclipse of the moon, anyone on the night side of Earth can see it.
Eclipse of the Sun
Astronomy - when did people first figure out what an eclipse was?
More about the Earth
Learn by doing - eclipses
To find out more about space, check out these books from Amazon.com or from your library:
Why did people want to punch Socrates?
Where did Egyptians bury your liver?
How old are the Rocky Mountains?
What does a half-timbered house look like?
How do you spin wool?
(a project)
Mercury
Planets
Physics
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