Solar and Lunar Eclipses: Comparative Analysis Essay

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An eclipse is an astronomical event which happens when an object gets between two astronomical objects and casting its shadow on one of them. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon gets between the sun and the earth blocking lightness from getting to the earth (Crash Course). A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon moves into the shadow created because the earth is blocking the sunlight from reaching the moon.

There are two shadows inside the moon, one of which is a narrow cone tapering to a point from the moon. If a person is physically anywhere inside this cone, the moon seems to be large enough to block the sun, meaning that the shadow is very dark, and it is referred to as umbra. Outside the umbra, there is the penumbra, a wider conical area where the sun is seen as partially blocked when observed from that region. The moon can be smaller than the sun in the sky if a solar eclipse happens when the moon appears to be at the far end of its orbit. However, during the eclipses, totality is brief because the sun and the moon are nearly of the same apparent size (Crash Course). It is not recommended to look directly on the eclipse because it can seriously damage the eyes.

The difference between solar and lunar eclipse is that solar eclipse is only localized in one spot, and only the locals can see the eclipse. The lunar eclipse is visible to anyone on the earth who can see the moon. Each year the moon moves away from the earth by four centimeters due to tides from the planet. As it moves away, it slowly becomes smaller in the sky. This implies that it will be too far away to cover the sun in time altogether, and there will be no more total eclipses.

Work Cited

“Eclipses: Crash Course Astronomy #5.” YouTube, uploaded by Crash Course, 2015, Web.

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"Solar and Lunar Eclipses: Comparative Analysis." IvyPanda, 12 July 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/solar-and-lunar-eclipses-comparative-analysis/.

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IvyPanda. 2022. "Solar and Lunar Eclipses: Comparative Analysis." July 12, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/solar-and-lunar-eclipses-comparative-analysis/.

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IvyPanda. "Solar and Lunar Eclipses: Comparative Analysis." July 12, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/solar-and-lunar-eclipses-comparative-analysis/.

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