Eclipses occur because the orbits of the moon and Earth line up with the sun. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks sunlight from reaching Earth. A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the moon.
Because the moon’s orbit is slightly tilted compared to Earth’s orbit, eclipses don’t happen every month.
Understanding the eclipse path and timing depends on the moon’s umbra and penumbra shadows. These events highlight the dynamic interplay of gravitational forces and celestial motion in our solar system.
We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.
